Thousand Year Blood War
by Daniel Affaro
Summary: The Soul Society has been attacked! But these are not the Sternritter that we know. Witness the rise of the Vandenreich and the twenty-six new Sternritter that form its ranks. [Based on Tekking101's Sternritter contest entries]
1. Kriegsvorbereitungen

**Chapter 1: ****Kriegsvorbereitungen**

Night loomed over the dark cold expanse of the Silbern. A breeze, barely felt, swept through the streets and brushed past the numerous buildings. Glinting in the light of the moon, the ice that formed them almost danced in a liquid sheen.

Overlooking the city, the clock tower chimed down a bell toll seven times.

A group of individuals, dressed in similarly white uniforms walked down one of the many streets towards the palace.

"What do you think His Majesty wants?" Jamina Jazdera (Sternritter I) asked, looking up at her comrades as she attempted to keep pace with them. Around her head, the curls of her bright pink hair bobbed in almost rhythmic timing. Her deep red eyes were twisted into an expression of confusion.

Glancing down at his comrade, Silvanas Athalla (Sternritter N) returned the expression; his grey eyes holding an uncertain edge to them. "I'm not sure..." Brushing one hand back through his grey hair, he scratched slightly at the short black stubble around the back and sides of his head. "The last time I can even remember all of the Sternritter being called together is when they gave us the War Briefing."

"So do you think the Invasion is starting today?!" Jamina cried out in flustered protest. Not paying attention to where she was going, the young girl tripped over a pot-hole that lay in the middle of the street.

Landing face-first in the snow, Jamina blushed fiercely. The heat from her face began to melt the snow around her.

"What are we going to do with you," Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) muttered, almost to himself as he helped her to her feet. Peering over the fabric mask that covered the bottom half of his face, he made sure that she hadn't hurt herself in the fall. "It wouldn't do us much good if our medic was out of commission before the fights even started."

"I know that!" Jamina cried out, defiantly as she looked up at the young man and blushed even more furiously than before.

Despite half of his face being covered, Basilisk was very attractive. His messy brown hair fell in an unruly fashion around his head, and his eyes were piercing and betrayed nothing. Jamina loved that, but hated it at the same time.

Brushing the snow off of her nurse's uniform, she pulled the traditional cloak of the Sternritter back around her body and turned her back on the two men. Storming off, she left a flurry of snow in her wake.

Glancing over at Basilisk, Silvanas began to toy with the pendant on his necklace. "Well that was awkward..."

"Was it?" Basilisk replied, ever so slightly confused by the remark.

Thinking better of elaborating, Silvanas simply shrugged. "I guess so." Turning his attention back to where Jamina had previously been, he realised she was far further away than he had anticipated. "We best go after her."

"If you say so," muttered Basilisk, pulling his hood up over his head and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Walking down the road after the girl, the pair's footsteps crunched pleasantly through the chilling snow. Icicles hung from the lips of roofs, occasionally dripping cold water onto the men's shoulders.

After continuing in silence for a while, Silvanas spoke up. "So what have you been doing with yourself these last few days."

"Sketching," arose the almost blunt reply.

"Oh, you draw?"

"Sometimes." Basilisk was spurring any attempt that his fellow Sternritter was making at starting a conversation.

"If you like to draw, you could always talk to Gillaume," Silvanas persisted. "The guy is a master with charcoal."

"I'll keep that in mind." Again, another disinterested response.

Thinking better of continuing, Silvanas returned his attention to the road ahead of them and the fast-approaching silhouette of Jamina. He was in no mood to try and attempt to squeeze blood from a stone.

Very few of his fellow Sternritter actually related well with one-another. A price to pay from having been scattered across the world, and in hiding. A few of them were pleasant, but on the whole, Silvanas wasn't overly fond of them. Jamina was one of the few that he could talk to without issue. He liked that. If it paid to make friends with anyone, it would be their resident Doctor; even if she was only seventeen years old.

Finally closing the gap on the girl, Silvanas placed a hand softly on her shoulder. "Don't go running off like that again; we all know what you're like. You could hurt yourself."

Shrugging off his hand, she pulled a face. "Don't talk to me like I'm a child."

He laughed. "I'm not calling you a child." Breaking into a grin, he glanced down at her. "I'm saying that I'd feel safer with our medic close to me."

Losing the edge of her defiant look, Jamina allowed a smile to pluck the corner of her mouth.

"And why is that?" came a voice, seemingly from nowhere. "Expecting friendly fire, are we?"

Appearing from the alcove of one of the buildings, Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) threw him a serious expression. It was no wonder Silvanas had failed to notice him; every inch of him blended into the environment. Long white hair fell softly around his face, framing his bright silver eyes and almost luminescently pale skin.

"Hardly," Silvanas relplied, covering his distrust with a lie. "I'd rather have her and not need her, than need her and not have her."

"Hmm..." Asuma hummed in dissatisfaction, before slipping past the group of three and making his own way to the palace. After several feet he almost seemed to disappear into the surroundings.

"I know it's probably not right to say this, but he scares me," Jamina muttered, once she was sure that Asuma was out of earshot.

"I don't blame you," Silvanas replied, scratching his head again. "The guy is a monster."

"We're all monsters," Basilisk said from inside his hood and mask, before beginning to walk again.

Silvanas laughed. "And just like that you sound human again. I thought it would never happen."

Basilisk ignored him and focused on the palace ahead of them. The great dome and spikes dwarfed anything in the surrounding area that dared to come close to it.

Beside him, Jamina and Silvanas continued their speculations as to why they were being summoned.

Soon the threesome had arrived at the palace. The cavernous entrance hall reverberated sound back upon them, as their footsteps echoed through the room.

Several of the other Sternritter had already arrived and were seated around the hall in various positions and groups. Stood to the side on his own, arms folded, was Asuma; his spectral appearance almost making him seem like an apparition.

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G), as usual, was sitting with one leg crossed over the other on the steps leading up to the throne room. His cloak was pulled tightly around his body to fight off the cold. Green eyes flicked lazily around the room as he rested his chin in his palm and observed the other Star Knights.

"Afternoon," he said, as the group of three approached him.

"Someone looks bored," Jamina said, sitting down next to him. Pushing her knees together, she turned her ankles outwards and tilted her head to the side, so that she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Someone is tired," Onmar replied, annoyance present in the undertones of his voice. "This damn place is far too cold; I couldn't get any sleep. " As he spoke, a cloud of smoke billowed from his lips. "I'm not used to this crap."

"So why aren't you trying to distract yourself?" Jamina asked. "Take your mind off of it. Talk to someone."

"Like who?" he asked. He nodded his head towards Asuma, stood off to the side. "Mr lone wolf over there won't even give anyone the time of day. Plus, Aya hates me, so that's that group in the corner out."

"Don't worry, we'll keep you company," Silvanas said, with a smile.

"I'm thrilled."

"If you're still cold, we can wait for Tomoko to show up," Jamina said with a reassuring smile. "I'm sure she'll be able to warm you up."

Onmar only let out a pessimistic grunt as he began to rub his hands together.

"So this is what... Eight of us?" Silvanas asked, looking around the massive room.

"Nine," Onmar corrected, still rubbing his hands together.

"Who did I miss?"

"Kirmie has one of his bugs flying around," he replied. "Disgusting bastard... I'm glad he didn't show up himself."

"I don't think I've ever actually seen his face," Basilisk said, from inside his hood. Slight intrigue plucked at his voice.

"You're lucky," Onmar spat out in response. "It's vile."

"I'm going to go and talk to Clarlonde," Silvanas said, turning his head to look at the group in the corner. He flicked his eyes back over to Jamina and smirked. "Make sure Onmar doesn't freeze to death."

As he walked away, Onmar's voice followed him. "Try not to get killed while you're there; god forbid you make me happy."

Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) turned her head towards Silvanas as he approached her and her two companions. Her hair was long and black; several streaks of white leaping out from it. Deep purple eyes were crumpled into a smile.

Clarlonde was one of the few Sternritter who actually wore the traditional uniform completely uncustomised. Her body was adorned in a double-breasted white jacket, and her legs encased in a pair of pure white pants. She was the only one to wear the military cap, and it sat on her head tilted to an odd angle.

The girl next to her looked so similar to her that one could assume that they were siblings. Aya Herz (Sternritter S) also had black hair, albeit lacking the white stripes, and purple eyes. Aya, however, was several years younger than Clarlonde and, as such, was well over a foot shorter. Aya wore a light blue turtleneck underneath her jacket, and in spite of the cold, a short white miniskirt.

"What brings you to my neck of the woods, Sil?" Clarlonde asked, still smiling.

"Just coming to see if any of you know what this is about," Silvanis replied.

"You better not have been talking to Onmar back then," Aya suddenly butted in. Her brows were lowered into a childish expression of anger. "You know that I don't like him."

"And so what if I was?" Silvanis said, playfully. "It's rude of you to think that just because you don't like him, everyone else has to hate him."

"Master Athalla is right, My Lady," suddenly echoed a voice from the last remaining figure of the group. "It's terribly rude of you to impose such a harsh exile on Master Gunther, based only on your dislike of the letter G."

Standing at just over a head taller than Silvanis, the man was large. This was only enhanced by the full body armour and helmet that adorned his form, setting him as an imposing figure. None of the Sternritter knew his name, so it had become common practice to refer to him as "Knight"; based on his choice of garb.

Knight was, for lack of a better phrase, Aya's bodyguard. Truth be told, if the situation arose, he would readily defend all of the female Sternritter; call it chivalry. However, Aya being only fifteen years old, and therefore the youngest, he had taken it upon himself to be her permanent escort.

"Thank you, Knight," Silvanis said, a grin plucking the corner of his mouth as he bowed.

"Do not mention it, Sir," the voice said, from the helmet. " I was merely instructing My Lady on proper etiquette."

"And a fine job you're doing," he said, chuckling, before turning his attention back to Clarlonde. "So, do you know why we're all here?"

"As far as I can tell, Lenora- I'm sorry, 'Captain Poultery'- wants to go over battle strategies with us." Clarlonde pulled a dissatisfied face.

"Not a fan?"

"I don't think any of the Sternritter are," came the reply. "She's the leader of the Soldat, so they're all practically licking her boots. But as far as the other top twenty six are concerned, she's just another control freak."

"Is that a fact?"

"Well, no not really... Some of them don't even care about her. Take Z for example. I doubt he would even take notice of her."

"Madam Poultery is a well needed lynchpin of the system," Knight interjected. "While you may hold distaste for her, she is still your commanding officer. If you are going to be disrespectful, I would implore you to do so outside of my presence."

"Ever the gentleman," Clarlonde said, smiling.

"_This_ is it?!" suddenly shouted a voice. The owner stood in the doorway to the entrance hall, his hands on his hips and a look of annoyance plastered across his face. "Why did I even bother?! There's not even half of you shitheads here!"

"Oh, well speak of the devil," Silvanis said, with intrigue.

Sternritter Z, Mann Elle spat to the side as he strode into the hall. The light glinted off of his bald head, highlighting a vein bulging on the side of his temple. He wore a variation of the standard uniform that featured a sleeveless white shirt, with three black bands strapped down his left arm. His hands were covered in a pair of fingerless leather gloves. Fixed to his belt and tapping against his thigh was a black powder horn.

"I came all the way here for this?" He continued to rant, his amber eyes flicking over the room's other occupants. "I expected at least half of us! If you're not going to follow orders, then what's the point, you dumbshits?!" His voice was mocking and harsh.

Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) walked up behind him and sighed. "Please shut up; you're giving me a headache."

Eric wore a mask that covered his whole face in the visage of a skull. Piercing blue eyes were visible through the sockets and jet black hair peaked through the back and fell over his neck. Around his body, a pure white trench coat billowed. Emblazoned across the back was the Vandenreich's insignia.

"What are you talking about, young man?" suddenly came another voice from outside of the palace. "Can you not hear the beautiful echoes that his voice is making? You need to take some time to appreciate art."

Sternritter F, Gillaume DaVinci, broke into a smile as he walked into the cavernous room. Admiring the area around him, his eyes began to twinkle.

Gillaume was an elderly man that appeared to be in his early sixties. Curly grey hair clung to his head, matching the thick bushy beard that covered over half of his face. Spreading across the right side of his face, covering the exposed skin of his cheek and forehead, was an angry-looking burn scar.

"The acoustics are simply fantastic," he continued on, not once breaking pace from his brisk stride. "The curvature of the walls, the strategically placed collumns. Brilliant. A true work of genius."

After a while, it became blatantly apparent that Gillaume was no longer addressing his fellows, but rather musing to himself. Tottering off on his own, he began to pace the room, all the while still talking.

One-by-one the remaining Sternritter entered the palace. Before long, twenty four out of the twenty six members had gathered. Converging around the stairs leading up to the throne room, they all waited.

Onmar, now sat cross-legged on the floor, was watching the stairs intently. His green eyes held them in an intense focus. Blowing air into his cupped hands, he never once broke his gaze.

All of a sudden, the floor in front of the stairs began to rise up out of the ground. Light flooded the chamber. A platform now stood in front of the gathered Sternritter.

Footsteps perforated the air as, descending from the throne room, a figure advanced down towards the stage. The sides of her head were shaved, however the bright red and purple hair on the top of her head had grown long enough to cover the right hand side. Her jacket was cut short to show off her midriff and across her shoulders a deep red cape was draped. Fixed to the side of her face was a headset.

"Is everyone here and accounted for?" Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) boomed.

Scanning the crowd briefly, she made a mental note of those present before turning her attention to the podium. Noticing a small fly, rubbing its legs together as it watched her, she appeared satisfied.

"All bow, before His Majesty! Yhwach!" she called out, stepping to the side and bowing low.

Descending from his throne room, swathed in black robes and hair, Yhwach stood above the congregation. Eyes deep red held the Sternritter in his vision as they collectively bowed. His lips parted slowly, purposely.

"My dear Sternritter! As many of you know, the promised time is drawing near. The Soul Society will soon be within our grasp! The Shinigami shall kneel beneath the might of the Quincy!"

A cheer of approval was roused from many of the more vocal Sternritter. Onmar broke into a smile, still sitting on the floor. Basilisk's face betrayed nothing.

"In one week we shall strike against the Seireitei, and bring the Soul Reapers to their knees. My friends: Now is the time to put your existence on the line. To give your all for the cause. We are a clenched fist ready to strike back against those that sent us into oblivion and who now lie sleeping. So tell me my friends: What is it you truly want?"

It started with Mann, muttering under his breath. "Krieg... Krieg..."

Soon the entire congregation had followed suit and was chanting. Louder and louder their voices grew.

"KRIEG! KRIEG! KRIEG!"

Overlooking the spectacle, Yhwach broke into a satisfied smile. "Then Krieg is what you shall have..."

Turning away, he began to ascend back to his throne room, leaving Lenora stood above the Star Knights. Her mouth widened into a satisfied grin as she drank in the atmosphere.

"In one week we are to assemble at the Gate of the Sun," she boomed, still grinning. "I hope that you all are ready."


	2. Kriegserklärung

**Chapter 2: Kriegserklärung**

Ichigo Kurosaki was walking down the street leading to his house. The sun was just beginning to recede beneath the skyline, throwing numerous ever changing shadows of half-light over him. Orange light seeped over him, swathing his body to match his hair.

It had been several weeks since the incident with Ginjo Kujo, and he was just getting back into the swing of having his Soul Reaper powers back. Everything was slowly returning to normal.

However, something was nagging at him. Something that just didn't seem right. He felt uneasy.

Almost as if he were being watched.

* * *

><p>Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai sat at his desk musing over paperwork. The oil lamp at his side flickered, throwing a glow over the darkness around him. Placing down the pen, he drifted his hand over the desk.<p>

As strange as it may sound, his missing arm itched. The phantom limb had been plaguing him on and off for the past several months. A "trophy" of war; he had refused prosthetics and even the promise of restoring it.

"For the office of the Head Captain, this really isn't very well guarded," a voice said, calling out clearly behind him.

Without missing a beat, Yamamoto turned to face the intruders. "Don't presume that I am so old and dishevelled that I am in need of security." He rose to his feet. "I alone am security enough."

Stood before Yamamoto was a group of six. All were swathed in a white cloak and wore a black mask. The foremost one was clapping his hands.

"Well look at you all brash and presenting yourself," he chuckled, holding his hands clasped together. "I must say, that's mighty impressive for someone your age."

Yamamoto didn't waver even for a second. His gaze narrowed and his pupils pinpricked. "I'm feeling generous today... If you remove yourself from my presence right now, I will let you off with a light charring."

"My, my," the masked man chuckled again. "Those are some big words. But alas... I am not here to fight you. I am here to deliver a message."

Yamamoto stopped briefly to listen.

"The Vandenreich is ready. This is a declaration of war." Beneath the mask, the man continued to laugh. "Soon, the Soul Society will be no more; and you, dear Head Captain, will be dead."

Grinning silently to himself, Yamamoto took a step forwards. "At first I thought you rude, but now I see the truth. You are insane." He gripped his cane tightly in his remaining right hand. "No one in their right mind would face me head on and declare war so brazenly!"

As the cane dissipated, revealing his Zanpakuto, Yamamoto let out a hoarse cry. "Reduce all creation to ashes! Ryujin Jakka!"

Almost as if he were expecting this, the masked man raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. The wooden floor beneath the Head Captain's left foot instantly gave way, throwing the old man off-balance.

Waving his hand, the man laughed for one final time. "And with that, I bid you adieu."

The cloaked men vanished into a void of shadow.

* * *

><p>Ichigo Kurosaki stood outside Urahara Shoten with a bemused look on his face. It was already past midnight when he had received the summons from the eccentric store owner. It would take him a week to remove that much paint.<p>

Venturing forth into the shop, he called out into the darkness. "Tessai? Urahara? Jinta? Ururu?"

Advancing further into the dimly lit confines, he continued to search. Boxes and crates were stacked up to the ceiling and the whole room smelled of moth-balls. Dust filled the air as he dug through the clutter looking for the door to the back room.

The lights suddenly clicked on, illuminating Ichigo and temporarily blinding him. "Hello, Ichigo-chan~!"

Ichigo glared into the gap in the boxes, finding himself nose-to-nose with the owner of the shop. Like usual his hat was pulled down to the bridge of his nose, shrouding his face in shadow.

"What did you want, Urahara?"

Parting the boxes, Urahara smiled slightly before sitting Ichigo down on the floor and joining him. "There appears to be a bit of a situation in the Soul Society."

Weighing the words in his mind, Ichigo sat in silence and listened.

"Now this isn't anything that would affect you here, but I felt the need to tell you. Full disclosure. At the moment, it appears that things are under control, however, should anything go wrong, you may be needed to step in."

Urahara held Ichigo's gaze; their eyes locked in subtle understanding.

"What... What's happened in the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked slowly.

"We have happened," arose a cheerful voice behind him.

Whirling around, Ichigo saw a man leaning against the edge of the entrance to Urahara Shoten. His hair was neatly slicked back with oil and held a blue sheen to it. Affixed to the side of his face was a fragment of an enamel-like mask. He wore a pure white military uniform.

"My name is Leon," the man smirked, bowing. "And I have been sent here to deal with you, Ichigo Kurosa-"

The foot that connected with his face was the last thing that Leon expected. Flying through the air, carried by the force of the kick, he caved in the wall across the street from the shop as his back found brick.

Dusting himself off, he broke into another smirk as he eyed Ichigo's Shinigami form with glee.

"What business does an Arrancar want with me?" Ichigo asked, raising his oversized Zanpakuto; the blade glinting in the moonlight.

"Now who said that I was an Arrancar?" Leon chuckled, leaping into the sky and raising his left arm. Blasting from his wrist, blue reishi encircled his hand before forming into the shape of a sword.

Ichigo's eyes opened in surprise as Leon fell upon him, slashing down at his head.

"What's going on?!" he shouted, blocking the slash with his blade. "Arrancar don't form blades from Reishi!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Leon said, forcing Ichigo's blade back, sending him flying into the air. "And I told you already!" He pointed the blade up towards Ichigo. "I'm not an Arrancar!"

Several blasts of spirit energy rocketed from the blade towards the airborne shinigami. Detonating fiercely, the night sky was illuminated by explosions of blue fire.

Ichigo emerged from the smoke, burned up his left forearm. Gritting his teeth, he glared down at the man.

He had seen something that he thought he would never see on another person besides Uryu. Hanging from Leon's wrist was a Quincy cross.

"Who are you?!" Ichigo shouted down at the ground.

"I already told you!" Leon laughed, beginning to launch wave after wave of projectiles at the Shinigami. "My name is Leon!"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Ichiro replied, slicing through the blasts that came his way, and dodging those he couldn't cut. "Why do you have a Quincy cross?!"

"Maybe if you defeat me, you'll find out," he shouted in response, dashing to the side, down a narrow alleyway, all the while firing off projectiles. "But at this pace you won't be anywhere near good enough! You're going to have to use Bankai!"

Ichigo noted the taunt. Squinting his eyes, he kicked off of the solidified platform on reishi on which he stood and sped towards the ground. Swinging his Zanpakuto in a wide arc upwards, he ripped up slabs of concrete as he slashed at Leon.

Blocking the swipe with his Reishi blade, Leon allowed the force of the strike to carry him upwards before suspending himself on airborne Reishi. Continuing his barrage of blasts, the alleyway was completely illuminated in blue light.

"Come on Kurosaki, use your Bankai! Show it to me!"

_More taunting, _Ichigo thought to himself. _He's leading me towards something... I can tell._

Kicking off of the ground, Ichigo dodged the blasts mid-air and took another swipe at the apparent Quincy. Again it was blocked.

Leon grinned at Ichigo over the clashed blades. "Shall I take that as a no?"

_Only one way to find out. I'm calling his bluff._

Forcing back Leon's blade, he flung his opponent through the sky.

"BAN-KAI!"

Spiritual pressure tore through the air, illuminating the skyline of Karakura-cho in white light.

Leon's smile widened in glee. Dispersing his reishi sword, he pulled a medallion from his pocket and held it in front of his body at arm's length.

_This is it, Ichigo Kurosaki! _he thought to himself. _Your Bankai ends here!_

What happened next occurred so fast that Leon didn't even have time to register it.

Ichigo, for lack of a better word, vanished. Reappearing behind the supposed Quincy, the Substitute Soul Reaper raised his jet black blade before slashing downwards. The arm in which Leon held the medallion was cleaved off in one strike.

"Every time you mentioned my Bankai, you glanced down at your pocket," Ichigo said, pressing the tip of his blade into Leon's neck. "What was that thing that you had in your hand? And what does it have to do with my Bankai?"

Leon gritted his teeth. Glaring at Ichigo, he clasped the bloody stump that used to be his arm.

"You will pay for that, Ichigo Kurosaki…" he spat out; venom in his words. "You wait… Once the Vandenreich attacks you will pray for death. Watch the earth crumble beneath you; your world shatter."

"The Vanden-?" Ichigo began, however he was never allowed to finish his sentence.

Light tore through the night sky. Blood, stark red, spattered onto the rooftops below. The top half of Leon's body was completely obliterated.

Ichigo flinched backwards and raised his blade in a defensive stance. His eyes darted around the area, attempting to place where the blast had come from.

"Tut tut tut…" muttered a voice, cutting through the darkness. "Loose lips sink ships."

Ichigo whirled around to see an elderly man with a burn scar across the right hand side of his face. He wore a white double-breasted military uniform and in his hand he held a quincy's bow. Reaching up to stroke his curly grey beard, he began to absent-mindedly hum to himself.

"As cities go, I've seen better," he mused. "Though Japanese architecture has never been a great love interest of mine."

"Who are you?" Ichigo shouted at him, tightening his stance.

The old man broke into a smile. "I am Sternritter F- Gillaume DaVinci." He raised his bow and pointed it at the orange-haired youth. "And it's my job to keep you occupied."


	3. Anfang des Kriegs

**Chapter** **3**: **Anfang des Krieges**

"Your majesty..." Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) approached Yhwach's throne, her hands clasped behind her back. "Gillaume has engaged Ichigo Kurosaki in Karakura Town."

"Then Leon failed to acquire his Bankai?" Yhwach said, his voice low and betraying nothing.

"Yes sir," Lenora replied, her vision placed slightly to His Majesty's right, so as to not look him directly in the eye.

"At least he was able to slow him down somewhat." Rising to his feet, Yhwach walked past the Sternritter; his black cloak billowing behind him. "And if Gillaume is the one to detain him, then this works splendidly to our advantage."

Lenora turned to follow him. Placing her hands on her hips, she kept pace with him.

"Send out the order," Yhwach said, breaking into a wide smile. "The Vandenreich is going to invade the Soul Society."

* * *

><p><strong>"An order from His Majesty to the Sternritter:<strong>

**One of the five War Potentials, Ichigo Kurosaki, is currently engaging our forces in Karakura-Cho.**

**All Sternritter are to immediately prepare for war and gather at the Gate of the Sun. The Vandenreich is going to invade the Soul Society."**

* * *

><p>Sternritter Q, Ferdinand Savange, stood gathered with the rest of the Sternritter forces. Clenched between his teeth was a thick cigar. Taking a drag, he removed it from his mouth and breathed out the smoke.<p>

"I heard that Gillaume was the one that engaged Ichigo Kurosaki," he said, glancing down from his considerable height at the man beside him.

Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) returned the look as he glanced up at the large tanned man. "At least we know that he won't be interfering in the invasion. Gillaume's abilities are troublesome even at the best of times."

"I think it would be wise not to underestimate the boy," Ferdinand muttered, removing his sunglasses and adjusting the white fedora that he wore before continuing to smoke. "He's listed as a War Potential for a reason."

Legion stood in silence for several minutes, seemingly agreeing with his comrade.

In this brief interlude in conversation, Ferdinand pulled a distasteful expression as he glanced over Legion's attire. Old and weather-beaten, Legion was a man in his early fifties, but the appearance his clothes made him seem much older. He wore a tattered and dishevelled white military uniform, stained and torn from years of use. On his feet he wore no shoes.

Ferdinand, on the other hand, always made a point to be well-dressed. For this reason, he often held his comrade in contempt.

"What say we make a bet?" Legion suddenly grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.

Ferdinand dragged on his cigar, with intrigue in his eyes. "Go on."

"First one of us to kill ten Shinigami wins." Legion's grin widened as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh please, you're not still hung up about the speed thing, are you?" Ferdinand scoffed, puffing smoke from between his lips.

"I'm still hung up about it because you're not willing to admit that I'm faster," Legion replied, scowling.

"Having the fastest Hirenkyaku doesn't mean you're the fastest Sternritter."

"Are you two still having that ridiculous argument?" suddenly came a voice from behind the pair.

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) was sat cross-legged on the floor behind the two men, his hands splayed on the ground behind him. Green eyes peered up discerningly around the point of his fringe that rested on his nose.

"Are you still sitting on any flat surface you can find?" Ferdinand replied, smirking. "Some things are just in our nature."

"I guess so," Onmar replied, returning the smirk. "So, would you mind if I got in on the bet?"

"No," replied Legion, turning to face the young man and placing his hands inside his pockets. "With you it wouldn't even be a contest."

"Are you implying that you could kill ten Shinigami before I could?" he asked, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. Smoke billowed from his lips.

"You know full well what I'm implying. With you it's not a matter of speed."

Onmar only responded by wrapping his white cloak tighter around his body. Beneath it, he was shivering.

Stood next to where Onmar was sitting, Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "If you're looking for more people to join in your bet, why not Joseph?"

"Ha!" Ferdinand laughed. "Please; I'd be better off asking one of the Soldat to join in."

"Really?" Onmar asked, tilting his head to the side. "But I thought he was one of the ones in the top tier?"

"He is, but if we're counting kills he wouldn't even get one." Ferdinand finished his cigar and crushed it underfoot. "Joseph doesn't fight to kill. He drags out fights and cripples them instead."

Eyeing a man across the room, Basilisk tugged at the fabric mask that rested on his nose.

Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) was a tall and trim man with messy black hair. Discerning green eyes stared off into space through his half-frame glasses. The collar of his military jacket was pulled up high, emerging from the top of his cloak and touching his ears. Joseph checked the time on the wristwatch that he wore on his left wrist.

"He doesn't look like a sadist to me?" Onmar murmured softly. "He just looks like… a guy."

"Exactly why he's so dangerous," Legion said, tilting his head to the side and turning away from the men. Advancing through the crowd, he pulled his right hand out of his pocket and waved over his shoulder. "I'll see you on the battlefield."

"Awful man…" Ferdinand muttered, half to himself, as Legion walked away. "No sense of class at all." He readjusted the fedora perched on his head.

Basilisk glanced at him. "If you dislike him, why would you talk to him?"

"I like to tease him," replied Ferdinand, lighting another cigar and taking a deep drag. "There's not much else you can do around here. It's at least some entertainment."

"I wonder how Gillaume's fight with the boy is going?" Onmar mused. "Now that is something I would like to see. Some real entertainment."

* * *

><p><em>What is going on?<em>

Ichigo slashed out with Tensa Zangetsu at his enemy's side. Gillaume raised his left arm and swatted the blade away.

_I keep cutting him, but nothing is breaking skin!_ Ichigo thought, slashing out, only to have it slapped aside once again. _This isn't right._

Gillaume raised the bow in his right hand and fired off several arrows at Ichigo. The Substitute Shinigami dodged them narrowly by ducking to his right, leaving the shots to rocket over his shoulder and explode in the sky.

The Quincy, in spite of his age, was deceptively fast. Though Ichigo still held the advantage in terms of speed, Gillaume's reactions were fast enough to exploit any opening that presented itself. He was easily on-par with Captain Class Shinigami.

Leaping backwards, the Sternritter increased the distance between himself and the orange-haired youth. Firing yet more arrows through the sky, he squinted his eyes.

Detonating with extreme force, the arrows sent shockwaves through the night atmosphere as smoke dwarfed Ichigo's form.

"I've got to give it to you!" he suddenly called out from within the smoke. "Your arrows are a lot stronger than Ishida's. Though it has been a while since I've been hit with them."

As the haze cleared, Ichigo was revealed. In his free hand he held the spirit projectile in a tight grip. His enemy's eyes opened wide as he launched it right back where it had come from.

"Did you say Ishida?" questioned Guillame, dodging the arrow. "Uryu Ishida?"

"What's it to you?" Ichigo shouted in response, kicking off of the airborne reishi and lunging at Guillame.

"Uryu Ishida's Heilig Pfeil are weaker than mine?" He blocked another slash with his forearm and retreated again. "I wonder if that's true…"

"What are you talking about?"

Guillame smiled ever so slightly. "I don't think I'm at liberty to say." He raised his bow and peered along the length at the Soul Reaper.

Ichigo dodged the oncoming blast by sidestepping. Tearing past him, the blue flash vanished into the night. Once more leaping forwards, Ichigo-

-felt a blast against his back. The explosion ripped through the air, catapulting Ichigo into one of the rooftops below.

Raising his head, Ichigo realised four more arrows were hurtling towards him from above. Rolling to the side, he avoided the blasts, allowing them to explode against the roof.

Jumping back into the sky, Ichigo weaved out of the way of successive arrows. No sooner had he done so, they turned about themselves and headed straight for him.

"So that's your trick!" Ichigo shouted, dodging over and over. "You can control your arrows! But it seems you're only limited to four at once!"

Spiralling through the air, Ichigo continued to avoid the arrows. All the while, Guillame waved his arms; like a conductor orchestrating a symphony.

"I'm significantly impressed, Mr Kurosaki," he called out. "Your speed is nothing to be sniffed at." He continued to flick his arms; following Ichigo's movements. "So how about we up the ante a bit, hm?"

Before he could even register what the Quincy had said, Ichigo noticed a strange sensation. Almost as if he had no control over his legs, his feet began to slip over the airborne reishi. Skidding through the air, Ichigo tripped and fell into the sky below.

_What the hell?!_

Once more attempting to gain traction, the same thing happened again. Sliding through the night sky, he was soon surrounded by a swarm of arrows.

"Like I said, Mr Kurosaki," Gillaume said, as the arrows collided with the youth. "I am Sternritter F." He broke into a smile. "My ability is known as The Friction."

* * *

><p>Renji Abarai was in the Sixth Division barracks. Laying back, hands behind his head, his eyes found focus in the ceiling.<p>

Ever since the Captain Commander's office had been invaded the previous night, the whole of the Seireitei had been a bustle. War preparations were in full swing, and not a single Shinigami was left without a job. Now that it was nighttime, he was finally getting a break.

The tatami mat felt good beneath his back, and he soon found himself drifting into a haze of sleep.

Screams snapped him from the welcoming embrace of rest.

Leaping to his feet, Renji ran for the door. Even before he reached it, he could see the fire. Towering blue pillars dwarfed the buildings of the Seireitei as they shot into the sky and blazed brilliantly.

"What on earth..." he gasped, gripping the wooden railing in front of him in a white-knuckle grip. "You!" Renji shouted at an unseated Shinigami that was running away from the closest tower of flames. "What's going on?!"

"I-invaders!" he stammered. "The fire, i-i-it won't go out!"

"Shit..." Renji muttered under his breath.

Snatching up his Zanpakuto, he vaulted the railing and ran through the streets of the Court of Pure Souls. As the fire drew closer, he could feel it. A monstrous spiritual pressure. It was practically on the same level as a Captain.

Turning the final corner towards the fire, Renji laid eyes on a man. Long pure white hair fell around his face and down the back of the long white cloak that he wore. Bright silver eyes shone out of his face.

Recognising him immediately as an enemy, Renji drew his sword. "Roar, Zabimaru!" Morphing into its trademark segmented appearance, Renji's Zanpakuto whipped and extended through the air at the man.

Littering the floor around him were numerous bodies of Soul Reapers.

Flicking his eyes to the side, the man never once broke from his calm demeanour. Lifting his left arm, he knocked the blade aside and took a step forwards.

Appearing in front of the Liuetennant, he grabbed him around the scruff of the neck and threw him over his shoulder.

Landing on his back, Renji looked up, only to see the tip of a sword hurtling downward towards his face.

Rolling to the side, he swung Zabimaru upwards and locked blades with the white-haired man.

"To think you survived my first strike," the man said, looking over the blades and into Renji's glaring eyes. "You must be quite powerful. Captain level, even." He pushed hard against Renji's sword and leaned forwards. "What's your name?"

"Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six," he ground out through gritted teeth. Whoever this man was, he was inhumanly strong. It was taking every ounce of strength Renji had to stop his arms from buckling under the pressure.

"I am Sternritter L, Asuma Godai," the man said. "Make sure you remember that after I've killed you."

Zabimaru's segments separated; the sword extending. Sidestepping around Asuma, Renji flicked his wrist up, wrapping the length of his sword around the enemy's own blade.

"You mean, when I've killed you?"

Asuma's face barely changed. Dispersing his sword into reishi, he freed himself from the Liutenant's trap and turned sideways in one swift motion. Planting his foot firmly in the Shinigami's side, he kicked him through no less that three buildings.

Rising out of the rubble, Renji roared and swung his sword, yet again. Grabbing hold of the top section of the blade, Asuma yanked on it hard, dragging the Liutenant towards him. Striking out with his left hand, he punched Renji across the face, once more sending him flying.

Flicking his hand to the side, Asuma removed the blood from his knuckles. "If this is all you're capable of, I expected much better."

* * *

><p>"What's the level of fatalities?!"<p>

"We're not sure! Activating the Spiritual Pressure Radar now!"

"Has anyone got contact with Squad 4?! We need medics out there!"

"Sir, we've got a figure coming in. It's... Kami... It's Six-hundred and twelve and counting!"

Akon began to sweat as he looked down at the control panel in front of him. "Six hundred and twelve..." He gritted his teeth. "What the hell is going on?! It's only been five minutes!"


	4. March of the Starcross

**Chapter 4: March of the Starcross**

Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu, the Third Seats of the Thirteenth Division stood with their swords drawn, facing the pillar of blue fire ahead of them. Gathered at their flanks were a unit of no less than thirty unseated Shinigami.

If an enemy was going to attack them, he would be coming from the fire. Liutennant Kuchiki had said so when she radioed them.

Being closest to the pillar they arrived before her.

The sound of footsteps perforated the air as a man in a white cloak began to nonchalantly emerge from the blue light.

"Wow, there sure are a lot of you…" he muttered to himself, placing his hands in his pockets.

Sentaro rushed towards him; sword held in front of his body.

"I've got to say, it's much warmer here than in the Silbern," the man said, not even registering the attack.

Tapping one boot-clad foot against the floor, the assailant let out a low mutter of "G-9."

All around him, Shinigami were crushed into the ground. Mid-swing, Sentaro found himself dragged down under his own weight, before slamming into the concrete floor. As his skull was crushed into the ground, his blood mixed with that of the other Soul Reapers around him.

Kiyone was bent backwards, her spine creaking before eventually giving way and snapping cleanly in half.

"Hmm," hummed Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G), glancing around at the display of corpses before sitting on a nearby wall. "This is far more than ten… I guess they were right excluding me from the bet."

* * *

><p>"We're currently detecting enemy reiatsu in no less than sixteen locations! Shinigami reiatsu is also disappearing in locations not marked by enemy presence, so we can assume that those sent from the investigation team were killed before they could transfer their data!"<p>

"The reiatsu of Thirteenth Division Third Seats, Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu have vanished!"

"Thirty six soldiers dead in area West 204!"

"Sixty one dead in 366!"

_This is insane…_ Akon thought to himself. _Over one thousand dead and we're not even seven minutes into the invasion. What the hell is going on out there?!_

* * *

><p>Byakuya Kuchiki held his sword confidently in front as he eyed the man emerging from the fire in front of him.<p>

"Good evening," suddenly came a voice from the flames.

Emerging ahead of Byakuya, a man with scruffy black hair and glasses broke into a pleasant smile. Holding out his arm, he gestured as if he wanted to shake Byakuya's hand.

Striking out with Senbonzakura's petals, Byakuya stepped back to increase the distance. The man's hand was caught in the slash, however remained unharmed.

"You're awfully pleasant for someone who has just invaded us," Byakuya stated with slow purpose.

"Well I'm not doing this by choice," the man said, breaking into a smile. "I'm just following orders." He calmly checked the time on his wristwatch; Byakuya all the while eyeing him cautiously. "I can help but feel like we go off on the wrong foot. My name is Joseph Fehler, and I have been given the designation of M."

"And what does that mean?" Byakuya asked, flicking the hilt of his sword upwards and sending a swarm of flower petals flying towards Joseph.

Joseph leaped backwards and held his hands up beside his head. "Whoa, hostile. And to answer your question: I think that's something you may have to find out for yourself."

"I'm in no mood for games," Byakuya stated, launching more of the luminous pink petals through the air towards the man.

Ducking and dodging the attacks, Joseph whistled between his teeth. "Something tells me that you're not overly fond of me."

Ignoring the remark, the Captain continued to direct the cherry blossoms. "You're quite fast. And the method you're using isn't Shunpo or Sonido… It's Hirenkyaku. You're a Quincy."

Again, Joseph smiled. "Very astute of you, Captain Kuchiki."

"It appears you know my name," Byakuya said, maintaining the attacks with his Zanpakuto. He landed a bow against his enemy's arm. Yet again it failed to cut. "And still you decided to fight me, knowing who I was?"

"It's precisely because of who you are that I was sent to fight you," Joseph explained. "You should be grateful. I doubt any of the others would be as polite as I am."

"Grateful?" Byakuya asked; his voice deadpan and flat. "To you, who are mercilessly invading the Soul Society? Gratitude is not what I shall be sending your way; nor is compassion." He withdrew the petals back into the form of his sword before flipping it upside down, the blade pointing towards the ground. "I am going to crush you." He released the sword, allowing it to fall.

Joseph smiled pleasantly and stood up straight.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

* * *

><p>Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of Squad Ten, clashed blades with his adversary.<p>

The man which he fought had long white hair, tied neatly behind his head in a ponytail, and pale eyes, like chips of dirty ice. His face was extraordinarily beautiful; something that initially led the Captain to think that he was a woman.

"I'd really rather not do this," the man said, lazily. "Fighting isn't really my thing. I'd much rather just sit this out."

"You expect me to believe that?" Toshiro said, forcefully, through gritted teeth. His sword grated against the reishi blade that his opponent wielded.

"Believe what you want, Captain Hitsugaya," the man said, in a disinterested fashion. Forcing the Captain's blade back, he engaged him in a furious flurry of sword strokes.

"You've got me at a disadvantage," Toshiro said, parrying the strikes and throwing his own. "You know my name, yet I don't know yours."

"You may call me Snow," the white-haired individual said, turning sideways and allowing the Soul Reaper's strike to pass him by. "I am the Sternritter who has been blessed with the letter Y."

"Am I supposed to know what the letter means?" Toshiro grunted, swinging his Zanpakuto wide in a slash at his enemy's face.

"You will understand soon enough," Snow replied, leaning backwards to avoid the swipe and retreating several paces.

Gripping his Zanpakuto tightly, Toshiro swung it in a wide arc. "Sit atop the frosted heavens! Hyorinmaru!"

Ice and water erupted from his blade before taking the form of a large streamlined dragon. Whipping through the air, the beast slammed into Snow, sending him flying into the side of a building and freezing him against the surface, pinning him.

"I'm sorry to say this, Captain, but this is nowhere near enough to detain me." Breaking free of the ice, Snow sprinted towards Toshiro, firing a series of projectiles from his sword as he ran.

Dodging the blast, Toshiro slashed out again, firing yet more ice at the man.

Lifting his sword, Snow carved through the ice headed for him before striking downwards at the Captain and locking blades with him. "I already told you. You're going to need to do better than that. If you're not going to at least consider performing Bankai, then I'm afraid you will never be able to defeat me."

"If it's my Bankai you want…" Toshiro said, through gritted teeth, before forcing his opponent back. "Then don't regret it when you're dead."

Snow took several steps back and dispersed his weapon back into reishi. Preparing himself, he flexed his fingers.

"Bankai!" shouted Toshio. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

* * *

><p>Captain Sui-Feng of the Second Division stood inspecting the surrounding area. Echoes of explosions and screams could be heard in the distance as the Shinigami forces engaged the invaders and were mown down by their overwhelming power.<p>

The area around her was littered with corpses. Easily over a dozen Shinigami had lost their lives in that area, and yet-

There wasn't an enemy in sight.

_This isn't right,_ she thought to herself. I can still sense the enemy. _They haven't vacated the area; I can still feel their Reiatsu. So why can I not see him?_

Clenching her fist, she felt to cold metal of her Suzumebachi against her skin.

She was just about to search the surrounding area when she heard the shot. Diving to the side, she moved so fast that she surprised even herself. There was an explosion against the side of a building in front of where she had previously stood, and a deep gash was opened on her left cheek.

_Bastard tried to snipe me! _she thought to herself, hurriedly leaping to her feet and scanning the area again; this time focussing more on buildings nearing the furthest edge of her vision.

Spotting a man on a building at least half a Ri away, to her left, Sui-Feng kicked off of the ground and activated Shunpo. She reached the rooftop in several seconds.

Having noticed her movement, the enemy was already in the process of retreating to another location. Breaking into a wide grin, he began to taunt the Captain. "Very astute of you, Captain!" he laughed. "I thought you would never catch on to where I was!"

Closing the increasing distance, Sui-Feng struck out with her bladed finger, cutting the man up the side of his exposed right arm. No sooner had she done so, a black crest in the shape of a flower spread over his skin.

"That's one hit," she said; her eyes emotionless as the man hurriedly retreated even further.

Blood splashed from his arm and covered the ground in his wake. A prominent vein bulged from the side of his bald head. "Shit.."

"Don't think you can get away from me," the Captain said, giving chase and striking him again across the back, causing another crest to appear on the back of his long white cloak.

Turning back on himself, the bald man raised his long white rifle and fired off a projectile of spirit energy. While the shot missed, it was enough to persuade the female Captain to cease the chase for a brief period.

Touching down on a building two streets over from where Sui-Feng stood, the man began to laugh to himself. Standing up straight, he swung his arms out to his sides in a theatrical manner.

"That was a big mistake, Captain," he chuckled. His amber eyes were narrowed in amusement. "If I were you, I wouldn't have spilled my blood so nonchalantly."

"And why is that, Quincy?" she asked with an amused twinkle in her eye.

"Because you don't know just how dangerous a thing to do that is!" He continued to laugh. "My name is Mann Elle, and I am Sternritter Z!" He pointed at her feet and broke into a wide grin. "And you, you foolish little girl, have just stepped inside my 'Zone'!"

"Z for Zone," Sui-Feng said, with mock interest. "Did you come up with that all by yourself?"

"I wouldn't mock me if I were you," he laughed. "Not when you're surrounded like that."

Seemingly appearing out of thin-air, no less than fifty assailants rushed towards the Captain. Ducking and dodging the blows, Sui-Feng delivered her own counterattacks on the individuals; dispatching them one by one.

Every time she struck an enemy, however, a curious thing occurred. Their form would mysteriously vanish. Dissipating like ash in the wind.

"I see what's going on," Sui-Feng smirked as she continued to dodge and attack the enemies. "Anything that steps into your 'zone' becomes trapped in this illusion."

Stopping in her tracks, she began to stare smugly into Mann's eyes.

"So as long as I convince myself that they're only illusions, nothing can harm me."

As soon as she said this, one of the illusions behind her struck her around the back of the head. Lurching forwards, her eyes opened wide in shock.

Recovering from the strike, Sui-Feng just about managed to block another blow from an illusionary enemy to her left. Counterattacking, she took out the two forms, reducing them to mist.

"You're right that they're illusions," Mann explained. "But it's a mistake to think they can't harm you. That was the move of an amateur. I thought you were better than that, Captain." He began to chuckle. "And it's not just soldiers that I can conjure."

Manifesting in the air above her, several large stones began to plummet through the night sky. Diving to the side, Sui-Feng avoided the rocks as they crushed the apparitions that she was previously fighting.

"Combat challenges are always a bit more fun with some obstacles thrown in," he said, smirking. "I used this ability to train most of the Soldat. A good number of them ended up dying; but what great loss is that. The weak are nothing more than tools for the strong to use as they please."

As he explained, Sui-Feng continued to dodge falling rocks, and some newly manifested bladed pendulums. All the while she was assaulted by soldiers.

Mann lifted his reishi rifle and took aim at the Captain. "So tell me: Are you nothing more than a tool?"


	5. Kill the Shadow

**Chapter 5: Kill the Shadow**

"Ban…Kai!"

The simultaneous shouts echoed throughout the Seireitei as several Captains all activated their Bankai. Spiritual pressure tore through the streets in bright blasts.

"Kinshara Butodan!"

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

"Kokujo Tengen Myo!"

No sooner had Captains Rose, Hitsugaya and Komamura activated their Bankai, a black flash seared into the sky. Crumbling and fading, their Bankais began to disappear around them.

Stood in front of them, clasping small metallic medallions, their respective opponents broke into smiles.

"What the…?" Toshiro stammered, looking down at his sword. "Hyorinmaru? Hyorinmaru!?"

* * *

><p>"The Bankais have what?!" Akon shouted, whirling around to look at the Research and Development Division member that was reporting to him. His face was so wound up that the whites of his eyes formed almost perfect rings around his pupils.<p>

"They've been stolen, sir!" the man said to him. "The Captains of Divisions three, seven and ten have all had their Bankai's stolen by the enemy!"

Akon hurriedly turned around and began to furiously type on his keyboard. "I'm still getting a signal from Captain Kuchiki's Bankai! Do you know why that one hasn't been stolen?"

"No, sir!"

"Shit…" Akon hissed through gritted teeth. "The Tentei-Kura! Now! We need to warn all of the other Captains not to use their Bankai!"

* * *

><p>Byakuya heard the report and silently gritted his teeth.<p>

He had already resorted to using his hands to direct Senbonzakura Kageyoshi towards his enemy, to make it faster. No matter what he did, however, he could not seem to land a single hit on Joseph.

However, that was not what was bothering him.

_Why isn't he trying to steal my Bankai?_

"Shall I take a peek into your mind?" Joseph said, smiling slightly as the pink light of the Bankai glared across his glasses. "You're wondering why I have not stolen your Bankai?"

Byakuya said nothing. Shredding more petals through the air, he aimed at the Quincy's head. Sailing over Joseph's shoulder, none of them found their mark.

"It would be rude," Joseph explained, pleasantly opening his palms and lifting his hands. "I don't want to leave you defenceless against me. That just wouldn't be right."

"Then you're a fool," Byakuya said, launching more and more attacks. Still nothing managed to hit the Sternritter.

"Am I?" Joseph asked, ducking and suddenly sprinting forwards. "It seems I'm avoiding your Bankai well enough."

Advancing closer to Byakuya, Joseph drew a thin metal pole from his belt. The tip burst into a blue stream of reishi and began to hum and vibrate violently.

Recognising the Seeleschneider, Byakuya pulled his outstretched hand back towards himself, causing the flower petals behind Joseph to chase after the Quincy. His vision was filled with pink and white as his enemy advanced on him.

It was then that Byakuya realised something.

_He's heading straight for my safe-zone!_ he thought. _Why else would he advance on me instead of retreating? The enemy is well-prepared, we know that much. Could it be that they knew about my fight with the Tsukishima boy? That must be it. My only choice is to dispel the safe-zone!_

As soon as Joseph moved within arms reach of him, Byakuya thrust out his right arm and clenched his fist, quickly.

Joseph side-stepped, leaving Byakuya completely exposed to his blades.

Hurriedly dashing to the side, the Captain as partially caught in his own attack. The entire of his left arm was shredded, as if he had been raked by a thousand razor blades. The sleeve of his shihakusho tore and flared up behind him, carried by the force of the attack.

_What on earth was that?_ Byakuya thought. _I was sure that he was going to attack me. How did I get caught up in his trap? This isn't like me._

"Well that was unfortunate," Joseph said, stepping back and pulling a concerned face. "I thought it would help if got in close and took a swing at you, but it seems your doing my work for me."

Byakuya ignored him, spinning back on himself and swinging his arm in a wide arc. Pink cherry blossoms swept through the air and cleaved into the ground, sweeping upwards towards Joseph.

Stepping to the side, Joseph leaned out of the way of the attack.

Lifting his right hand, the Quincy summoned a short white bow, formed from reishi. Two white orbs circled his wrist. Three arrows launched from his hand as he made a dash at Byakuya.

Raising his hand, it appeared that Byakuya was going to direct his blades towards the man again. Instead, he let out a hoarse shout. "Sokatsui!"

Fire leaped from his palm in a massive blast, towards the Sternritter. It was so huge that it dwarfed the surrounding buildings.

Unfortunately, that failed to deter Joseph. Leaping through the fire, he had used the Seeleschneider to cut through the Kido.

Hurriedly crossing his arms, Byakuya called petals from either side of his body and blocked the downward slash of his opponent.

_Why did I do that?_ Byakuya's thoughts screamed at him. _Seeleschneiders can cut through anything made of reishi and absorb it! What in God's name is going on?!_

* * *

><p>Sajin Komamura leaped backwards through the rubble that scattered the area.<p>

_What in God's name is going on?!_

The abilities that the Quincy he was fighting was using were like nothing he had ever seen before. He couldn't explain it, much less find a way to counter it.

Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) chuckled to herself and stood with one foot upon a piece of rubble; leaning down on her knee with her forearm.

Tomoko was a young woman in her twenties with short black hair, who stood at around five foot ten. Her eyes were green and her Sternritter uniform was tight, with a pleated skirt that reached just above her knees. On her feet, Tomoko wore knee high combat boots. Her hair was cut short, the fringe hanging close to her right eye.

"This is a lot easier than I thought it would be," she said, smirking. "I don't even need to use the Bankai that I stole from you."

The wolf-man growled. His yellow eyes glowed with a fierce fury. "TENKEN!"

Swinging his left fist forwards, Komamura roared. Appearing above his head, a gigantic humanoid fist sailed through the air towards the female Sternritter.

Ducking under the fist, Tomoko snapped her fingers. Blue and white sparks flickered through the darkness of the night. A large chunk of rubble fell from an overhanging building, intercepting the fist and allowing the Quincy an opening to lunge at the Shinigami Captain.

Komamura leaped back, attempting to gain some distance between himself and his opponent.

Again blue and white electricity crackled along the ground. Ice spread across the floor, causing Komamura to slip and fall backwards.

A projectile of spirit energy collided with the humanoid wolf's chest, exploding on contact and propelling him backwards. Crashing through the wall of a nearby building, he was submerged in debris.

Rising shakily from the rubble, Komamura looked to his enemy who, already, had continued her onslaught.

Lifting a rifle, formed from reishi, Tomoko unloaded round after round of reishi bullets on the Captain. Explosions ripped through the building, bringing the whole structure down on top of Komamura.

A gigantic disembodied arm, holding a sword, tore through the building. The roof was flung from the wreckage and crashed into a street nearby.

Glaring through a haze of dust, Komamura stared down the Quincy.

"Still trying to figure it out?" Tomoko smirked. "Don't worry about it, Mr Wolf. Not even my own comrades can understand my abilities."

Komamura only bared his teeth. Every predatory instinct in his body was being kicked into overdrive.

"Ready to give it another go?"

* * *

><p>"Connect me to Ichigo Kurosaki," Akon said, slowly and purposefully. Clenching his fist against the control panel, he continued to sweat.<p>

"But sir, the Captain would never-"

"I'm willing to accept full responsibility for my actions. Connect me to Kurosaki Ichigo's combat pass at once!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Akon," Hiyosu said, turning towards Akon, his wide eyes bulging. "We're connecting to the combat pass but he doesn't have it on his person. From the signal we're receiving, it appears the pass is located in Kisuke Urahara's Urahara Shoten!"

"What is going on over there...?" Akon muttered, distress lining his features. After contemplating for several seconds, sirens and screams blaring in his ears, he seemed to relent. "Connect me to Kisuke Urahara."

"But if the Captain found out about-" Hiyosu stammered, before being cut off.

"I know that, but right now we have no choice!" Akon shouted. "The situation is dire! We need all the help that we can get; now connect me to Urahara!"

* * *

><p><strong>[Author's Note: Hey guys! How are you enjoying the story so far? Out of the Sternritter that have been revealed, who is your favourite? Which of the ones revealed do you want to fight which Captain? Are all these questions going to end soon?<strong>

**Reviews will ALL be answered!]**


	6. The Dark Rescuer

**Chapter 6: The Dark Rescuer**

"Ah hello, Akon-San," Urahara chimed in, picking up his phone and flipping it open. "It's been so long." He waited for several seconds. "Ah, well I've been-"

**"What on earth are you doing?!"** blared Akon's voice from the phone. **"I just told you it was an emergency! I'm not asking about you, I need Kurosaki Ichigo, right now!"**

"Kurosaki-kun?" Urahara stated absent mindedly, glancing up into the sky from his seated position outside his store. "I'm afraid that wont be possible..."

**"What are you-?"**

"Right now, Kurosaki appears to be fighting a high-level Quincy, calling himself Sternritter F."

In the night sky above the Urahara shop, a bright explosion seared through the darkness.

* * *

><p>"What?!" Akon gasped in disbelief, holding the receiver close to his face. "Kurosaki is fighting a Quincy in the world of the living?"<p>

Behind him, all the members of the Research and Development Division began to gasp and stammer in confusion.

_The Quincys are even active in the world of the living? They must have attacked Kurosaki, knowing that we would try to contact him. I've heard stories about him... But to think that the enemy would factor him into their plans this much. That's why they must have attacked when they did..._

"What is the situation like over there?" Akon asked, hesitantly.

**"Right now they appear to be equal,"** came Urahara's response. **"No... I shouldn't quite say that. It appears the enemy is succeeding in subduing Ichigo's advance."**

The Research and Development Division gasped in one collective breath.

**"There was another enemy that appeared before the Sternritter,"** Urahara continued, calmly, **"that tried to do a very curious thing. It appeared as if he was attempting to seal Kurosaki-Kun's Bankai, however that seemed to have no effect. You wouldn't, by any chance, know anything about that, would you?"**

* * *

><p>Ichigo continued to slip along the tops of roofs as he attempted to avoid oncoming arrows.<p>

Ever since Gillaume had activated his ability, Ichigo could barely move. The speed of his Bankai was useless if he couldn't gain traction on the ground or airborne reishi.

Up in the air, Gillaume continued to conduct his arrows. Flicking his wrists ostentatiously, he prompted the projectiles to chase after the boy as he skidded over the roof of the apartment block below him.

What made Ichigo Kurosaki so dangerous was not his attacking power, but the speed at which he could move after activating his Bankai. The Quincys had realised that and chosen the perfect individual to detain him. With the ability of The Friction, Gillaume was able to reduce friction to zero within a radius of half a Ri around him.

Perfect to stop the Substitute Shinigami in his tracks.

Ichigo didn't know what to do. He was a sitting duck, as long as he was on the rooftop. Unfortunately, as long as the Quincy's strange ability was in effect, he wasn't able to escape, much less attack him.

Up until that point, Ichigo had made do with laying on his back and swatting aside oncoming projectiles with his sword.

However, every time he did so, he would skid across the roof, due to the explosive force, causing him to readjust himself.

That was when Ichigo had a thought.

_If the explosions of his arrows are moving me, then that means..._

Stabbing his thin black blade into the ground beside him, he gripped it tightly with both hands. Gritting his teeth, he glanced over his shoulder at the airborne enemy with fire in his eyes.

"Getsuga... TENSHO!"

Jet black spiritual energy erupted from his blade and ripped across the roof, exploding violently. Ichigo was launched through the air, towards the Sternritter, spinning as he went.

Eyes snapping open wide, Gillaume dispersed his arrows mid-flight and crossed his arms above his head, barely managing to block Ichigo's swing. Blood dripped down his sleeves as the blade sunk into his flesh and jammed in place.

"Very good, Ichigo Kurosaki," he said, praise in his voice as he looked up at the orange haired youth. "You managed to find a way to attack me and break my concentration."

Gillaume dodged to the side, allowing the sword to slip from his flesh and grasped Ichigo around the scruff of the neck. Lifting his free hand, he manifested a bow and prepared to fire the arrow.

A thin blast of red spiritual energy shot through the air and pierced the Quincy through his abdomen, severing his spinal chord.

Hurriedly turning towards the source of the blast, Ichigo laid eyes on Urahara. Pointing ahead of him, clasped in his hand, the tip of his cane was smoking slightly. The body of Gillaume crashed into the roof of the building beneath where he stood.

"I have to thank you, Kurosaki-Kun," Urahara said, lowering his cane. "Because of you, enemy loosened his guard, allowing me to land a fatal strike."

Catching a phone that Urahara tossed to him, Ichigo pulled a confused face.

"This is an emergency situation," Urahara explained. "You're needed urgently in the Soul Society. Akon-San will fill you in while I open the Senkaimon."

Hesitantly, Ichigo lifted the phone to his ear and listened intently.

**"Hello? Ichigo Kurosaki? This is Akon from the Research and Development Division."** There was a pause as he took an intake of breath. **"I need you to listen carefully, without overreacting."**

Ichigo clenched his fist tightly around his sword.

**"The Soul Society has been invaded by a hostile force. Currently our losses stand at 2245 soldiers, 16 seated officers and the two third seats of Division Thirteen; who's Reiatsu have all vanished."** There was another pause. In the background, Ichigo could hear numerous explosions. He gritted his teeth. **"However, these numbers are just a rough estimate; as they are increasing by the second. Numerous buildings have also been damaged. Overall, the true scope of our situation is impossible to calculate."**

"Hold on!" Ichigo suddenly blurted out, his hand trembling as he realised something. "When you say their Reiatsu has disappeared, does that mean that they're dead?!"

**"It's uncertain,"** Akon stated. **"We've been unable to confirm, however considering the circumstances it is extremely likely that that is the case."**

Ichigo swallowed hard.

**"Furthermore... The enemy has, in their ranks, at lease sixteen individuals possessing Reiatsu equal to or greater than that of a Captain. They're known as Sternritter and wear a variation of the Quincy's signature garb. Also... As it stands, the enemy has suffered Zero losses. We haven't won a single battle."**

Ichigo spoke slowly, with great weight. "The guy that I was fighting said that he was a Sternritter. He had this weird ability. He called himself F for The Friction. Does this mean that there are twenty five others, with weird powers?"

**"At the moment, we can't be sure. However, that seems increasingly likely. As of now we have no idea on what their abilities are."**

Ichigo gripped the phone so tightly that it almost started to crack in his grip.

**"However... There is one thing that we do know. It appears that the enemy has an ability that allows them to steal an individual's Bankai."**

"What?!" Ichigo shouted. "How is that even possible?!"

**"I also initially had doubts, however... This information has come directly from Squads Three, Seven and Ten, who have already had their Bankai's stolen."**

_No way...!_ Ichigo thought, his eyes opening wide.

"A good rule of thumb, Ichigo Kurosaki: Only expose your back to a corpse," suddenly arose a voice from behind Ichigo.

Spinning to the side, Ichigo attempted to turn around to see just who it was behind him, however only made it halfway before his entire body locked up. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gillaume, suspended from string-like wires of reishi.

"Welcome to my second Wall," the Quincy said. "Inside this three meter area around me, anything not touching my body is affected by the absolute force of friction. Movement is impossible. The very air around you becomes your prison." He smiled, teeth visible through his grey beard. His lips were stained by blood. "I hope you enjoy your time here, Ichigo Kurosaki."

* * *

><p>Rojuro (Rose) Otoribashi, Captain of Squad Three whipped his Zanpakuto through the air. The gold cable tore through a nearby building, in a vain attempt to land a strike on his enemy.<p>

"How many times do I have to tell you," the Sternritter said; his shaggy grey hair and matted beard whipping around his face as he avoided the attack. "I'm the fastest Sternritter. There is no way you're going to be able to injure me by flailing wildly like that."

Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) pulled out a silver medallion the size of his palm and nonchalantly tossed it into the air, before catching it.

"It's not a good day for you," he mused. "First you find yourself up against me, and secondly you lose your Bankai."

Rose ignored him and struck out with the whip again. Legion thrust out his hand and caught Kinshara the second it reached his peripheral vision. Gripping the golden rope tightly, he eyed the flower bud at the tip.

"Kinshara Sokyoku Dai Juichuban," Rose said, tapping against a segment of the whip. A musical note resonated in the surrounding area as the segment he touched began to glow. "Izayoi Bara."

Light shot up the length of the Zanpakuto, until it reached Legion's fist. Exploding outwards, with great force, a shock wave of sound cracked through the night. Legion released the whip and stumbled forwards, his eyes flinching closed in surprise as his left eardrum nearly gave way.

Activating Shunpo, Rose appeared in front of the Quincy and prepared himself to attack.

Realising what the Shinigami had done, Legion gritted his teeth. Hooking the looped end of his cane around the Captain's ankle, he pulled Rose's feet out from underneath him and kicked dust into his downed opponent's eyes, before using Hirenkyaku to retreat to a safe distance.

"Dirty tactics, dirty tactics," Rose muttered, half to himself, as he rose from the ground and rubbed the dirt from his eyes. "How un-artistic of you..."

Legion scoffed. "Call it what you want; battles aren't supposed to be artistic." He lifted his white cane and drew a string of reishi from the side. The walking stick morphed into a bow. "This is war... And war is an ugly thing."

* * *

><p>All across the Seireitei, the Stealth Force were busy planting transmission swords across the battlefield.<p>

The Tentei Kura was far too taxing to maintain, not to mention a drain on valuable spirit energy. Through the swords, the Shinigami would be able to maintain communication without the side effects of Kido dampening their ability to do so.

Co-ordinating the effort, the Research and Development Division furiously worked from their Lab.

**"Attention!"** blared Rin's voice from the numerous blades; reaching the ears of the Shinigami. **"To all Captains and Lieutenants currently within the Seireitei: The Subsitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki is currently on his way to the Soul Society!"**

The Soul Reapers listened intently as they fought against their enemy.

**"Furthermore, we have been able to confirm that the Quincy enemy is unable to steal Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai!"**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captian of Squad Twelve pulled a face brimming with disgust. "Damn that Akon, acting without orders..."

Elsewhere, the giant form of a man with shaggy black hair began to tremble with anticipation. His had gripped his sword tightly.

"Excellent!" Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of the Eleventh Division laughed to himself, breaking into a psychotic grin. "Ichigo is coming here!"

* * *

><p>"Prepare for stabilisation of the Senkaimon!"<p>

"Manifest it in Sector Central 20! We'll open in on Sokyoku Hill!"

"Solidify the Dangai!"

Akon gripped his palms tightly as he explained the situation to Ichigo. "This information has come directly from Squads Three, Seven and Ten, who have already had their Bankai's stolen."

All around him, the Division was in pandemonium. Preparations were being made for Ichigo's arrival, while numerous others monitored the situation on the ground. Yet more of them were attempting to contact Shinigami in the world of the living, advising them to stay away.

Akon gritted his teeth.

That was when he felt it.

A deep rumbling assaulted the air, gaining the collective attention of the Division almost immediately. The ground began to shudder and shake violently beneath their feet. Rubble fell from the ceiling above their heads, prompting several of them to scream.

The entire Research Institute was lifted into the sky.

Rubble and metal fell through the air beneath it as it hovered in place. Within the building, the staff began to scream and panic.

A man in a white cloak watched the building with a wide smile plastered across his face. His arms were raised to his sides and he soon began to tremble with glee.

"Oh what tragic sanity you've all imprisoned yourselves in," he said, still grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "So you want me to save you?! Do you want me to set you free?!"

The whole building was launched into the sky with so much force it began to break apart. Desperately trying to escape, numerous members of the research teams began to leap from the windows and plummet to the ground.

Landing several miles away, the building crumbled and shattered in an explosion of rubble and dust.

The cloaked Sternritter watched the display, all the while laughing like a lunatic.

* * *

><p>The phone was still pressed up against the side of Ichigo's face. Held in place by the overwhelming friction.<p>

Ichigo could only listen to the screams of fear and despair as the line was disconnected.


	7. 溶融氷

**Chapter 7****:** **溶融氷**** [****Yoyu Kori****]**

All around Toshiro Hitsugaya, a blizzard was raging. The snow and hail so thick that he was struggling to see. Wind beat against his body fiercely.

He should have been used to the sensation of snow and ice. However, this was only true when it came to that created by himself. This snow storm, however, was caused by...

"The Yuki-Oni," Snow (Sternritter Y) stated, his womanly appearance slowly appearing as the blizzard parted around him. His white ponytail began to whip fiercely around his face. Protruding from his forehead were two sharp, pointed horns. "That is the meaning of my Shrift."

* * *

><p>An Oni, in traditional Japanese folklore is a type of Youkai, or demon.<p>

Typically Oni take on a humanoid form and possess a variety of appearances, but two things are always consistent. One is the presence of a pair of horns atop the forehead. The second is the possession of supernatural abilities.

The term Oni was originally derived from "on", a reading of a particular kanji character meaning to hide or conceal. This is because Oni were originally invisible spirits or Gods that cause disasters, disease or other unpleasant things.

Some Oni were even said to be able to control the weather.

* * *

><p>Toshiro lunged forwards and swiped at the Quincy's head. No sooner had he done so, a pillar of ice shot up out of the ground and blocked the strike.<p>

"It's useless," Snow stated, calmly.

Turning his palm upwards, the Sternritter flicked his index finger in towards his palm. A spike of ice protruded from the ground and pierced the Captain through the torso.

"This truly is a wonderful Bankai," he stated, his voice soft. In his left hand, he held the medallion in a firm but gentle grip. On his back, a pair of giant wings, formed from ice glittered with liquid fire. "And it compliments my own abilities so well. I should thank you for this opportunity, young Captain."

Toshiro screamed, blood slipping from his lips and down his chin, before chilling into deep red icicles. Pushing his blade harder, he sliced through the pilar of ice that had blocked his strike and landed a blow against his enemy's neck.

"Useless," Snow said, softly. He had covered his neck with a layer of ice, blocking the attack. "There is no way that you could ever defeat your Bankai, using only your Shikai."

The ice shard impaling the Captain shrank back into the ground, causing blood to spill from his body and splash against the floor. Stumbling for a brief moment, Toshiro grimaced and closed his eyes for a half second.

He felt a blow against his body again. Opening his eyes just in time to witness it, he saw Snow's foot, tipped with a spike of ice, kick him in the gut. Flung through the air, Toshiro slammed into the wall of a nearby building and landed face down in the snow. Heaving and gagging, he stained the snow beneath his face crimson.

"I would much rather just leave it at this and be done with it," said Snow. Moving slowly, he almost seemed to glide over the ground. All around him, the blizzard raged. "I have this bad habit of being lazy, you see. But if the others found out that I just walked away from a still breathing enemy, I doubt His Majesty would forgive me." He formed a blade out of ice and held it in his hand, pointed down at the Captain. "So if you could die nice and easily for me, that would be a great help."

"Growl, Haineko!"

A cloud of ash cut through the blizzard and raked Snow up his right arm, opening a deep cut and tearing the sleeve of his uniform.

Leaping backwards, Snow looked down at his arm. "Very nice surprise attack... I didn't even have time to adjust my Blut."

Rangiku Matsumoto, Liutenant of Squad 10 didn't even bother to respond. Flash-stepping to her Captain's side, she hurriedly picked him up and retreated to the roof of a nearby building.

* * *

><p>Sui-Feng continued to dodge the ever increasing number of obstacles that surrounded her. Striking out at the illusionary enemies, she dispatched one after the other in quick succession.<p>

She was still trapped inside the Sternritter's Zone. She wasn't even sure how long she had been in there. The ability completely shut out her perception of outside influence. As such, she was unaware of the report concerning the theft of Captains' Bankai or the snowstorm that had currently fell upon the Seireitei.

Sui-Feng dodged another falling rock and struck one of the enemies across the face. Erupting into ash, it soon vanished into the wind.

"Is this really the best you can do?" Mann Elle (Sternritter Z) taunted; his arms folded across his chest. "You disappoint me, Captain."

Hissing through her teeth, Sui-Feng leaped through the path of a bladed pendulum and kicked a tile from the roof of a building at the Quincy. Soaring through the air, it carried with it the entire force of her kick and moved at an almost untraceable speed.

Unfortunately, it never found it's mark.

After travelling several feet, the tile changed course and was dragged to the left of the Sternritter before coming to a stop several dozen meters away.

"It seems you've discovered my Defense Zones," Mann laughed. "They're scattered all throughout your playing field. Any projectile coming towards me will be dragged into them. Long-range attacks are useless."

_So that's how it is..._ Sui-Feng thought to herself. _He has different Zones for different purposes. So far I only know of two, but from the way he's been taunting me, there's probably a third around him._

She dodged another falling boulder.

_I need to tread carefully if I attack him head on... However... I've tagged him twice with Suzumebachi. So all I need to do his hit him once more and I can finish him before he has a chance to counterattack._

Dashing through the array of obstacles, Sui-Feng closed the gap between where she initially stood and the Sternritter almost instantly. Thrusting her arm forwards, she managed to cut him across his right arm.

The same location as where her first crest had appeared.

And yet, the Sternritter did not die.

"Well well," he smirked. "It looks like you've just stepped inside my Kill Zone."

* * *

><p>"Captain!" Matsumoto cried, turning Toshiro onto his back. "Toshiro, wake up!"<p>

Opening his eyes, Toshiro's pupils lacked focus. A haze gripped his expression as he slipped in and out of unconsciousness. "Mat... sumoto...?"

Unsteadily sitting up, Toshiro's eyes wavered sluggishly. He gagged hard, vomiting blood onto the rooftop.

"Take it easy, Captain," she said, gripping his Haori gently, to support him. "Don't over-exert yourself."

"Wh-where's the Sternritter...?" he asked, gasping down lungfuls of air.

"He's still on the ground," Matsumoto explained. "I've erected a barrier, so he shouldn't be able to find us for at least a few minutes. Especially considering all of this snow."

"Th-thank you..."

Shaking and leaning on his sword for support, Toshiro rose to his feet. Teeth gritted, he glared through deep turquoise eyes at the snowstorm that raged outside of the barrier. Blood dripped from his chin.

"What are you doing?" Matsumoto shouted, leaping to her feet and placing herself in-between her Captain and the edge of the barrier. "If you go out there, you'll be killed! I've already called for reinforcements, you need to wait for them here!"

"I can't do that..." Toshiro said, forcefully, gasping for air. "There's no guarantee that the reinforcements will get here in time, especially considering the situations elsewhere..."

"And so you dying is going to fix that?!"

"N-no..." His eyes regained focus and he gritted his teeth. "I... Have a plan."

Outside of the Kido barrier, Snow was hovering in the air. Supported by wings of thick ice, his pale eyes watched the rooftop intently. Every attempt he had made to breach the structure had so far failed. Thus, he had taken to siphoning reishi from the Kido, gradually weakening it.

All of a sudden, the barrier vanished. Standing atop the roof, sword raised, was Captain Hitsugaya. Swinging his sword downwards, a torrent of water and ice roared through the blizzard that raged around them.

Reaching out with one hand, Snow froze the attack solid the second that it came in contact with his fingertips.

Firing a volley of ice shards at the Captain-

-he was gashed up the length of his back. Blood flew from his body and stained both the snow-covered ground and his white uniform.

Toshiro dodged the projectiles.

Matsumoto retracted her ash back into the form of her blade and disappeared into the flurry of snow.

"Using yourself as bait, so you're Liutenant can attack me," Snow mused. "Clever."

Flicking his wrist upwards, a wave of ice shot out into the air around the Quincy in a wide circle. Latching onto the Liutenant's legs, the ice began to slowly advance upwards until it had encased her entire lower body.

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro screamed, leaping through the snow and severing the ice below her feet, freeing her.

"That was a mistake, little Captain," said Snow, smirking. Swinging his arm upwards, he summoned a large spike of ice to, once again, impale the Captain.

Propelled through the air by the force, Toshiro broke through several buildings before being pinned to the side of one. Frozen in place by the ice, he began to shake and tremble as he bled out.

"How dare you..." Matsumoto gasped out, with chilling breath. "Use the Captain's Bankai against him like that!"

Cutting through the blizzard, Haineko's ash headed straight for the Sternritter. Matsumoto's eyes were hardened and intense as she aimed for the Quincy.

Flicking his eyes back towards the female Shinigami, Snow prepared to attack her.

Breaking out of the ice, Toshiro lifted his sword. "STOP IT!"

Almost as if he had expected this, Snow turned back on himself mid-attack. A tidal wave of ice and water ripped into the white haired Captain. Carried by the wave, he broke through several buildings and coughed up blood.

It wasn't long before he was hit by another raging torrent of cold. Pinned against another building and frozen in place, Toshiro stopped moving.

* * *

><p>Momo Hinamori, Liutenant of Squad Five stopped dead in her tracks.<p>

As far away as she was from Toshiro's fight, the outskirts of the blizzard still managed to reach her. She had taken this as a sign that her friend was winning the fight.

It was well known that Toshiro Hitsugaya's Zanpakuto was able to control the weather, however this was the first time the effects were so strong and wide-reaching.

Momo couldn't place her finger on why, but she felt uneasy. There was something different about the blizzard. It felt somehow sinister and dark.

Toshiro usually used his ability to manipulate weather to summon rain and ice. Never snow. It all felt very strange and alien to Momo.

Slowly, the snow began to stop.

An icicle hanging from the roof of a nearby building began to melt. The growing puddle lapped at Momo's feet.

* * *

><p>Toshiro staggered forwards, blood and water mixing and dripping from his body. His Captain's Haori was stained bright red and almost completely shredded.<p>

His eyes lost focus and his bottom lip began to tremble. Rivulets of blood ran down his face from an open wound on his scalp.

Still held in his hand, the blade of his Zanpakuto shattered.

Shards of steel clattered to the floor.

* * *

><p>Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) pushed her red and purple hair behind her right ear. A smile plucked the corner of her full lips.<p>

Turning to face Yhwach, her long red cape billowed in the wind as the snowstorm finally ended. The pair of them were stood in the air, overlooking the battles below.

"It seems that Toshiro Hitsugaya has died," she said, placing her hands on her hips and chuckling under her breath.

"I see..." Yhwach stated, his voice low. Around him, his tatty black cloak and long hair fluttered in the wind.

"These battles are dragging on a lot longer that we thought," Lenora stated, lowering herself to the ground and taking several steps. Looking around herself, she pulled a stern face. "If this keeps up then I may have to join the fight myself..."

"The Sternritter are far too lenient," Yhwach said, slowly. His deep red eyes shone across his face, throwing crimson light down on his wild mutton chops. "That is their only fault."

Touching down on the ground, Yhwach began to walk through the corpses of Shinigami that littered the floor. Blood splashed against his boots.

"Lenora..." he said, firmly. "I think it's time you joined the battle. This can't go out for much longer; I've already been out of the Shadow Territory too long."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Lenora said, solemnly.

Walking several paces, the female Sternritter cracked her neck before kicking off from the ground and launching herself into the sky.

Yhwach stood in silence for several seconds, thinking to himself. As the battle raged around him, his expression betrayed nothing.

"So!" suddenly arose a voice from behind him. "I take it you're the boss of these scrubs!"


	8. Wrath as a Lightning

**Chapter 8: Wrath as a Lightning**

"I take it you're the boss of these scrubs?" Kenpachi Zaraki asked, breaking into a wide toothy grin.

"Kenpachi Zaraki," Yhwach stated slowly and purposefully; turning to face the Captain. "To think that you would seek me out first. I would have thought that you would at least engaged one of my Sternritter."

"Why would I bother with small fry when the boss is right out here waiting for me?" he chuckled, breaking into a wide grin. "After all..." The crazed Captain leaped into the air, sword raised above his head. "YOU MIGHT BE THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT I'VE HAD IN A LONG TIME!"

* * *

><p>Ferdinand Savagne (Sternritter Q) chuckled to himself and grabbed his opponent around the throat.<p>

Lieutenant Choujiro Sasakibe of Squad One was slammed into the ground. Coughing up blood, his pupil less eyes opened wide.

Picking up the Shinigami and throwing him into the side of a nearby building, Ferdinand pulled an impressed face. "I'm surprised that you've lasted this long." He puffed on the cigar clenched between his teeth. "Especially considering that you've had your Bankai stolen."

Choujiro stopped trembling long enough to lock up. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

As soon as the invasion had started Choujiro had been almost completely cut off from the remainder of he Shinigami forces. His opponent was ludicrously fast. The Quincy had managed to eliminate every unseated and seated officer in the area in less than five minutes. Even more than that, anyone that attempted to approach, the individual had dispatched before they had a chance to make a report.

The result of this was that no-one was aware of Choujiro's situation. Not even the fact that he had lost his Bankai.

"You're actually living up to my expectations, Squad One Lieutenant," Ferdinand smirked, adjusting his white fedora. "No one has ever lasted this long before, against Sternritter Q- The Quick."

Choujiro gritted his teeth. Despite his opponent claiming that his moniker was The Quick, he was sure that his enemy wasn't using super speed, or anything of the sort. He knew this for a fact. Unfortunately, he was unable to pinpoint exactly what the power was.

"I was one of the first recruited into His Majesty's army," Ferdinand stated, his giant form slowly walking towards the downed Soul Reaper. "I like to think that it was because of my impressive track record for assassinations. I've always been skilled in terms of strength and made a good name for myself in the world of the living."

Choujiro ran forwards and swung his saber-shaped Zanpakuto at the Quincy.

In an action unfitting for a man of his size, Ferdinand dodged. Turning to the side, the lumbering hulk of a man rolled along the length of the Shinigami's arm and elbowed him in the back of the head. Falling forwards due to the force, Choujiro's face slammed into the floor.

"As a reward for lasting so long, shall I explain my ability to you?" the tan-skinned Quincy asked, tilting his head to the side and peering through his sunglasses, before removing them and slipping them into his right breast pocket.

The Lieutenant struck out to the side with his Zanpakuto in an attempt to slash the Sternritter's ankles.

Jumping over the swipe, Ferdinand kicked the Shinigami in the side, sending him flying yet again. Crashing through the wall of a nearby building, Choujiro spat blood across the floor.

Stumbling to his feet, the Lieutenant's eyes opened wide.

"Art of the flying strike!" Ferdinand shouted, punching the air so fast that his arm disappeared.

A shockwave of air slammed into Choujiro, crushing the air out of his lungs.

"Everything in the world has an average rate at which it occurs," Ferdinand said, smirking. His black goatee beard distorted around his mouth. "My ability is to reduce this rate of reaction." He began to walk through the rubble that littered the floor and cracked his knuckles. "Lets say a pot of water will boil in two minutes... I can alter the rate of reaction so that it will instead boil in one."

Ferdinand leaped forwards and moved to throw a punch. Choujiro slashed out in retaliation. The Quincy blocked the attack almost immediately with his index finger. This was followed by a rapid series of swipes and blocks from the pair.

"On a smaller scale I can use my ability on my own nerves," the Sternritter explained, blocking all of Choujiro's attacks; his eyes almost seeming to vibrate. "By increasing the rate at which my optic nerves send information to my brain, and the rate at which my motor neuron synapses activate, I can increase my reaction time to superhuman levels."

Catching the blade in one hand, Ferdinand struck out with the other. His fist slammed into the Lieutenant's face, sending him flying through the air.

"In other words..." He removed the finished cigar from his mouth and crushed it underfoot. "You will never be able to keep up with me."

Cracking his knuckles, Ferdinand pulled out the medallion that he had used to steal Choujiro's Bankai. Flipping it around his fingers, he began to grin.

"Now the question remains... Do I kill you with your own Bankai?"

"Tsugi no Mai! Hakuren!"

A burst of overwhelming cold collided with Ferdinand's back, jolting him forwards and causing him to stumble. Within a half-second, the Quincy was entirely encased in ice.

Running past the newly-formed ice sculpture, Rukia Kuchiki (Lieutenant of Squad 13) hurried to help Choujiro to his feet. "Come on… You need to get up!"

Wavering on his feet, the elderly Shinigami looked over at the young girl who had aided him. "Miss Kuchiki…"

"Try not to speak," she said, softly. "We need to get you out of here…"

Her dark purple eyes locked onto her senior as she supported him and helped him to move. The Quincy wouldn't be frozen for that long; they would need to hurry. He would currently be in shock due to the sudden drop in temperature. They would only have a few seconds.

"Where do you think you're going, little girl?" the voice of the Sternritter suddenly asked.

Breaking free from Rukia's technique, Ferdinand grunted. Shards of ice clattered to the floor before shattering into smaller pieces.

"Surely you must have heard me explaining my power," Ferdinand said, striking Rukia around the face, causing her to drop Choujiro and collapse to the floor. "It was simple to speed up the rate at which I could recover from the cold."

Rukia leaped to her feet, towards the giant of a man and swung her pure white sword in a circle around herself. "Some no Mai! Tsukishiro!"

Leaping from the ground, a circular pillar of light enclosed around the Sternritter, encasing him in ice once more. However, this did little to deter him.

By increasing the rate at which the ice would melt, he reduced it to water in under ten seconds.

Kicking the female Soul Reaper in the gut, Ferdinand sent her flying. As she landed, he raised his left hand. Clasped in his fist was a silver medallion.

"Bankai! Koko Gonryo Rikku!"

The entire air began to feel heavy and humid. The smell of roasted almost filled the surrounding area in a deep and musky scent. Black clouds swarmed in the sky, blocking out the light of the moon. White flashed down upon the ground as a gigantic orb of lightning hovered midair above the Quincy.

Swinging his arm down, Ferdinand aimed a lightning strike at the young girl.

Before the blast of electricity could land, Choujiro appeared next to his comrade and threw her out of the way. Hitting him with all the force of an air compressor, the lightning strike forced him to his knees. The sound of a thunder clap echoed throughout the entire of the Seireitei.

"Sasikibe!" Rukia screamed, jumping to her feet and running to him.

Again, he pushed her out of the way as a second lightning strike fell upon him. Burns covered his body and steam rose from his bloodied form.

A third blast of electricity fell upon the Assistant Captain as he struggled to rise to his feet. His hair caught light and began to burn.

Another struck him. And another.

"Stop it! You're killing him!" Rukia screamed in horror, charging at Ferdinand and raising her pure white Zanpakuto.

Turning his attention back to the girl, Ferdinand grinned and swung his arm towards her.

Rukia felt a strong grip around her waist. Picked up and carried out of the way, the attack missed her. Looking up at her saviour, she laid eyes on-

Captain Commander Yamamoto.

Gently placing her on the floor, the elderly man turned back towards Choujiro's motionless form. "Stay here young lady. I shall take care of this one myself."

As the Captain Commander walked towards the charred body of his subordinate, Ferdinand continued to smile. "Well good afternoon, Head Captain." He lit himself a new cigar and began to puff on it. "It's been a while since you're office. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't remember be, I was wearing a mask after all."

Yamamoto ignored him as he reached Choujiro's body. Kneeling down in front of him, he checked his friend's breathing. He was already dead.

"I bet you were surprised when I made the wood rot beneath your foot," Ferdinand continued. "I can bet you've never experienced anything like that before."

Yamamoto turned around to face the Sternritter with a dark light in his eyes. His glare was so intense that it could bore holes through concrete.

"If I were you, I would be happy," the Quincy said, adjusting his hat. "You get to die at the hands of your subordinate's Bankai."

The Head Captain said nothing.

Ferdinand grinned widely, almost biting through his cigar. Arching his arm downwards, he struck the old man with lightning. Over and over he blasted him, charring his clothes and burning his body. Every sound in the area was eclipsed by the resonating thunder claps.

* * *

><p><em>Choujiro...<em>

_You always were a stubborn one. Incessantly following me as a young man, insisting I take you as my right hand man. Always calling me Eijisai..._

_Even after you mastered your Bankai and scarred my forehead, you continued to call me that._

_Despite being stubborn you always had so much confidence. Confidence to back up your stubborn attitude. Confidence to persevere and succeed._

_So when you refused to be accompanied when engaging the enemy, I believed in you. I believed that you would return alive._

_And now..._

_Now..._

* * *

><p>"Choujiro..." Yamamoto whispered, his voice drowned out by the sound of the thunder.<p>

Ferdinand laughed, repeatedly striking him. Light filled the area, drowning everything in a veil of white.

"You must be mortified..."

Another bolt of lightning lanced through him.

"The Bankai that you spent to long refining..."

Yet another crackled through the air and flooded his form in white.

"Your life's work..."

Yamamoto gripped the hilt of his sword tightly in his trembling right hand. Blood dripped down his arm and splashed to the floor before evaporating from the heat of the lightning.

His head lifted, rage gripping his features like a vice. His teeth bared and his pupils pinpricked. "WAS NOT THIS WEAK!"

Fire erupted from his sword. Seething, scorching fire.

Flames tore into Ferdinand's form and vaporised his flesh. Bones began to crumble under the intense heat as he was completely atomised.

Looking over the scene, Rukia was forced to retreat several steps, due to just how hot it was.

The only thing that remained of Ferdinand Savagne were the echoes of his death screams.

Yamamoto turned away from the blaze and made his way to Rukia. Standing next to her and looking over her shoulder at the battlefield ahead, he let out a deep breath.

"Secure my Lieutenant's body," he said solemnly. "And fear not, young lady... For, with my own two hands, I will exterminate the entire enemy force."

Launching himself from the ground, Yamamoto rocketed into the sky, swathed in flames.


	9. The Fire

**Chapter 9: The Fire**

Captain Sui-Feng was repeatedly blocking her enemy's attacks. Despite being much slower than she was, the Quincy was pushing her to her limits.

She had been worn out by the repeated combat challenges he had subjected her to, and was pushing the far end of exhaustion. The longer that she fought him, the more blows she was taking.

Most distressing of all, however, was the fact that no matter how many times she struck him with Suzumebachi, the Sternritter would not die.

"What's wrong?" Mann chuckled, mockingly. "Having a hard time?" He struck her around the face and moved to knee her in the gut. His second strike was hurriedly blocked. "I'd have thought my Kill Zone would be the easiest for you to deal with. What a shame."

_What does he mean?_ Sui-Feng thought, still engaged in the vicious melee. _No matter how many times I cut him, he won't die. Why would he think that I shouldn't be struggling?_

Blocking a straight left with her gauntleted forearm, the female Captain utilized her impressive flexibility to kick the opponent under the chin. Staggering back, Mann spat blood.

_Strange..._ she thought to herself. _Every time I cut him, he doesn't so much as flinch. But barehanded attacks always knock him back..._

"You're going to need to cut me a lot more if you want to take me down," he laughed, dashing forwards and engaging the female Captain again.

_He's trying to taunt me into cutting him more. Couple that with how poorly he reacts to barehanded strikes and..._

Gripping the Sternritter around the wrist, she threw him over her shoulder and slammed his back into the floor. He cried out in pain and gagged on blood.

_That must be it! In his Kill Zone, you can only be injured by barehanded strikes. That's why my Suzumebachi isn't working, and why he hasn't been using any of his projectiles._

Gritting her teeth, Sui-Feng yanked Mann to his feet by his arm before sidestepping behind him. Gripping the bald man around the head, she wrenched her arms sideways with every ounce of strength she had.

A sickening crunch filled the air. The Sternritter's head hung at an odd angle, his amber eyes open wide in shock. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth. His legs finally gave way and he fell face-down onto the rooftop on which they stood.

Wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, the Squad Two Captain began to breathe heavily.

The Zones surrounding her dispelled as her enemy died, and she finally regained spatial awareness. Echoes of Reiatsu pulsed through her brain.

"This isn't possible..." she whispered to herself, looking over the battlefield. "How can we be losing this badly...?"

Her eyes suddenly snapped to her left. Searing through the sky was a blazing ball of fire. Reiatsu so fierce that it took her breath away radiated from the flames.

"Captain Commander...?" Sui-Feng gasped.

* * *

><p>All across the Seireitei, every single Captain and Lieutenant felt their General's Reiatsu. Sweat dripped from their foreheads as they all, without exception, trembled in awe.<p>

"Wh-what's that?" Lieutenant Momo Hinamori asked, fear gripping her voice.

"That's the Captain Commander..." Captain Shinji Hirako said, not even bothering to glance over his shoulder at her. "Jeez... I'm getting goosebumps."

Elsewhere, Sajin Komamura rose to his feet. Bloodied and beaten, he bared his teeth and let out a deep battle cry.

"Stand up!" he roared, directing his attention to his men, laying beaten on the ground. "Our Commander is standing and yet you are laying on the ground?! I do not remember the Gotei Thirteen being so shameful!"

"Y... Yes sir!" Komamura's squad members cried as they too rose to their feet.

Watching the display, Tomoko Stano whistled between her teeth and grinned.

"Wow..." Captain Shunsui Kyoraku stated, from his own battlefield. "Old man Yama's Reiatsu is echoing all over the Seireitei... I don't think I've ever seen him this angry before. I don't even think I've seen him fight so close to the front lines either..." He raised his twin blades and took a step back from his opponent. "It's almost like I'm being scolded. 'How dare you have such a hard time with these enemies. I don't remember raising you to be a coward.'" He swung his blades up into a tight stance. "It's almost like he's right here next to me."

* * *

><p>Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) noticed Yamamoto's advance the exact same time that Byakuya did.<p>

Glancing away from his fight, the Sternritter's bright green eyes locked onto the ball of fire lancing through the night sky.

"Well," he sighed, turning back towards Byakuya. "It seems I'm going to have to cut our duel off short." He smiled and flicked his gaze over the Captain's cut and bloody form. "Not that this hasn't been fun."

Byakuya lifted his shredded left arm and directed a swarm of cherry blossoms at the Quincy, however not a single one managed to find its mark. Be it from blood loss or fatigue, he didn't know, but Byakuya's attack missed by several meters.

"I would love to stay and fight you longer," the Sternritter explained, "but I have a job to do."

With that he kicked off of the floor and disappeared into the night sky.

* * *

><p>Yhwach threw Kenpachi Zaraki's unconscious and bloody body to the floor. It landed with and crash and bounced once.<p>

"To think that you were a War Potential," he stated calmly, looking down at the Captain's form. "Look at you now... Fragile."

Walking away from the body, Yhwach's tattered cloak billowed around his imposing form. Long hair flared up behind him as he made his way into the heart of the Seireitei.

"It seems that I've really overestimated you all... Sleep. The Soul Society is about to end..."

All of a sudden, an explosion ripped through the area. Colliding into the ground will all the force of a meteorite, Captain Commander Yamamoto entered the fray. Fire shot into the air, burning up all the oxygen in the surrounding area.

"It's been over one thousand years, Yhwach..." Yamamoto said, striding forward, swathed in flames. "I came here to annihilate you."

"Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto," Yhwach replied, breaking into a disturbingly calm smile. "To think that you would seek me out personally. You foolishness truly knows no bounds."

"It seems you have forgotten our last encounter," said the elderly Shinigami, pointing his blade at the Quincy King.

"And it appears to me that you have forgotten to mind your surroundings."

No sooner had he said this, three Sternritter dropped from the sky above the Captain Commander.

"I really hate having to do this..." said Snow, lazily.

"But orders are orders," Joseph continued.

"So go ahead and die you bastard!" Legion shouted.

Yamamoto barely moved. Fire shot from his back in a blast so huge it dwarfed everything in the surrounding area. Flung backwards by the shockwave, the three Sternritter crashed through several buildings before landing, charred, beneath piles of rubble.

"Tch," Yhwach tutted. "Meddling in my fight light that... I would expect nothing less." Noticing an odd expression on the Head Captain's face, the Quincy king tilted his head to the side. "What is with that look in your eyes? You look like you have something to say."

Leaping forwards, Yamamoto swung his blade of fire down at his enemy's head. The metal sliced through flesh before lodging itself in Yhwach's forearm. Flames seared his ragged clothing.

"In these one thousand years, you still have not changed, Yhwach," Yamamoto said, his voice deep and threatening.

"Ah, but you have, Shigekuni Yamamoto," the Quincy stated, smiling. "You have gotten old." He jumped back, dislodging the sword from his arm and spattering the floor with blood. "However... The way you are letting your rage rule your thoughts does remind me of your youth."

Yamamoto struck out twice with slashes of fire. Both of which Yhwach dodged by a hairs breadth.

"You're movements have dulled," the Quincy King taunted. "The strength which was so feared has diminished. You are but a shadow of your former self."

"You are mistaken," the Shinigami stated, slowly and with great weight. "I am no shadow, but the flame that casts it." Swinging his blade in a horizontal slash, Yamamoto let out a hoarse shout of: "Taimatsu!"

A fire so hot that it reduced the rubble underfoot to ash seared through the air. Leaping skyward, Yhwach narrowly avoided being engulfed in the blaze.

"A wise decision," the elderly Soul Reaper said, looking up at Yhwach. "Had you attempted to defend yourself with Blut Vene you would have not escaped with your life. You would have burned until nothing remained but ash."

Leaping into the sky, Yamamoto continued to launch fire at the Quincy King. Dodging repeatedly, Yhwach began to taunt the Head Captain. "Come now, Shikekuni Yamamoto, surely you can do better than this? You should know that this is nowhere near enough to bring about my end! Have you become so senile that you have forgotten this fact? Your Bankai is the only way in which you could even hope to land a scratch on me!"

"If it's my Bankai you want..." the Captain Commander said, dropping to the ground. "Then it's my Bankai you shall get."

Yhwach slowly lowered himself to the floor, opposite his foe. A smile plucked the corner of his mouth.

"I know the secret behind the stealing of the Bankai," Yamamoto explained. "You require prior knowledge of its abilities and powers in order to steal it. That is why you are unable to do so to the Kurosaki boy's Bankai; it is still evolving. It was a fatal mistake to goad me into using mine... For one thousands years ago I did not reveal to you even one of my powers." He swung his sword to his side. "Prepare yourself Yhwach... I am about to reduce you to nothingness."

Placing his hands on his hips Yhwach didn't so much as twitch.

"Bankai. Zanka no Tachi."

The overwhelming fire disappeared leaving only a charred and broken blade in it's wake. All forms of moisture in the Soul Society began to evaporate. The clouds brought on by the blizzard and thunderstorms earlier in the battle vanished. On the horizon, a red sun began to rise.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming heat didn't last long.

A black flash erupted from Yhwach's hand. Clasped between his fingers was a bright silver medallion. Yamamoto's Bankai crumbled.

His lips twisting into a grin, Yhwach began to laugh under his breath. The Captain Commander looked dumbfounded.

"It appears that your hypothesis was wrong, Shigekuni Yamamoto," Yhwach said, pocketing the medallion. "I am, indeed, able to steal your Bankai."

Emerging from a pile of rubble, watching the scene, Joseph Fehler fell back so that he was leaning against a nearby wall. Aside from scorched clothing, he was otherwise unharmed. Green eyes narrowed discerningly as he observed.

"You made a mistake in thinking it safe to activate your Bankai," he said, slowly. "Another wrong move was that you chose to engage His Majesty on your own... But your greatest, and first mistake, was challenging Lord Yhwach at all."

A gigantic bow appeared in the sky above the Quincy King. An arrow was pulled taught into its massive frame before firing straight down. Planting firmly into the ground in front of Yhwach a broad sword, formed from reishi, threw white light upon his cloaked form.

Gripping the handle above the cross guard, Yhwach drew it from the ground and held it in front of his body.

"Farewell, Shigekuni Yamamoto."

* * *

><p><em>"Hey, Old Man Yama?"<em>

_"Shunsui!" Yamamoto shouted, annoyance gripping his features as he burst through the door and scolded the young boy. "How many times have I told you not to come into this room?"_

_Grasping the lad around the ear, Yamamoto lifted him off the floor._

_Kicking his legs frantically, Shunsui desperately apologised. "Ow that hurts! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"_

_"I can't even feel a bit of sincerity in your apology!" Yamamoto shouted._

_"I am sincere! I'm sorry I came in here, I promise." Shunsui was released and landed on the floor with a crash. "I was just curious about that picture..." He indicated a framed painting on the wall, depicting a figure shrouded in fire. "What is it, anyway? Some kind of Fire God from a myth or legend or something?"_

_Noting the picture, Yamamoto pulled a somber face._

_"That's a monster..." he said solemnly. "It appeared in the Soul Society a long time ago, when it was in danger and made it all worse..." He looked down at the boy. "But don't worry... It won't appear ever again."_

_Shunsui turned to face the older man and opened his eyes in concern. "What happens if it does appear again?"_

_"If it does..." Yamamoto said. "I probably won't return here ever again..."_

* * *

><p>Yamamoto parted his lips in a haggard breath.<p>

Above him, rain clouds began to converge, brought on by the heat generated by his momentary Bankai. Droplets of water began to fall, reflecting the crimson light of the rising sun. Spattering against his skin, rivulets of rainwater ran down his face.

A gentle breeze blew past him.

Blood slipped from his mouth.

Yamamoto's remaining arm and head fell to the floor, severed midway along his abdomen. The bottom half of his body remained standing, almost as if it had been anchored to the ground.

Yhwach looked down upon his fallen enemy and smiled.


	10. Countdown to Collapse

**Chapter 10: Countdown to Collapse**

Ichigo continued to fight against the invisible restraints that held him in place. No matter what he did, no matter how much he struggled, not even a hair on his body would budge.

_Come on!_ his mind screamed at him, desperation welling behind his deep brown eyes. _Move! Move! MOVE!_

Watching the helpless young man, Gillaume began to chuckle to himself. Every breath he took prompted more blood to leak from his abdomen, yet he did not care. The Ranso-Tengai was more than making up for his near-death state by controlling him like a human marionette.

"Struggle all you can, Ichigo Kurosaki," he said, weakly, yet with an air of amusement. "No matter what you do, you will not move unless I will it."

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo felt the blood pulse through his skull.

_Think! Think! What can I do to get out of this?! All I need to do is break his concentration, like before; but how?!_

"GETSUGA TENSHO!" he screamed, attempting to use the force of his attack to budge his body.

Locked into his blade by the incredible amount of friction, the black spirit energy detonated. Ichigo felt the bones crack in his right arm. He cried out in pain.

"You are embarrassing yourself," the Sternritter stated. "The more you struggle, he tighter you're held in place. Give up."

"Getsuga... TENSHO!" Ichio screamed, yet again. He felt a bone in his wrist break. His arm still did not move.

"The only way to overcome friction is with excessive force," Gillaume explained. "But by the time you've generated enough force to do so, your body will have torn itself apart."

"Getsuga..."

"I'm telling you it's useless!"

Blue lines appeared on Ichigo's exposed skin, luminescing through the half-light of the morning.

_Impossible..._ Gillaume thought, eyes wide with shock. _This is... Blut Vene!_

"TENSHO!"

Black spirit energy exploded from the back edge of his sword, blasting in a black line across the horizon, like an inkblot on a canvas of red and orange. Carried forwards by the extreme force of the blast, the fabric of Ichigo's sleeve was ripped from his sword arm, revealing more blue markings extending up the skin of his arm.

Gillaume's eyes snapped to the side rapidly as the sword tore through the flesh of his chest. Blood jetted out and splashed against Ichigo's black robes.

As his concentration finally broke, Gillaume's wall of friction collapsed. In the brief moment before he regained his composure, Ichigo moved as fast as he could towards Urahara's Senkaimon.

"Urahara!" Ichigo shouted, blurring through the gate and calling over his shoulder. "No matter what you do, do not let that guy go to the Soul Society!"

"Oh don't worry, Kurosaki-Kun," Urahara mused, turning towards where the Quincy still hung from wires of reishi. "I still have some few tests I want to run on this fellow."

* * *

><p>"You may have been the head of the Shinigami," Yhwach said, looking down at Yamamoto's severed torso. "But look at you now... Pathetic." He began to walk towards the corpse. "You really are a pitiful sight."<p>

Stomping down on the Captain Commander's head, Yhwach let out a brief sigh. Around him, it had begun to rain, the downpour washing away the blood of the Head Captain.

"You are a fool, Shigekuni Yamamoto," he said. "Believing you could take me on and succeed. You probably don't even realise why I did not list you among the five War Potentials..." His red eyes narrowed discerningly. "Why did you not restore your left arm? If you had ordered Orihime Inoue to do it, she would have. Is it because you did not wish to rely on a human? That has always been your biggest fault; that you refused to rely on anyone else. Even now you attempted to shoulder the weight of both the Soul Society and World of the Living, and stood before me." He ground his foot down on Yamamoto's head. "But you have lost."

As the rain fell, wind whipped up and caught Yhwach's cloak, flaring it up around his shadowy form.

"You became weak." A smile plucked the corner of his mouth, beneath his wild mutton chops. "And now... The Soul Society will die along with you."

The Quincy king felt something on his ankle. Looking down, he found the body of Yamamoto, clasping him in a vice-like grip. Lifting his head, beneath Yhwach's boot, Yamamoto coughed up blood.

Fighting to even speak, the Captain Commander retched as he spoke. "Hado 96... Ittō Kasō!" Yamamoto's entire body turned black like brittle charcoal and began to crack with deep red fissures.

_The spell of sacrifice..._ Yhwach thought, eyes open wide. _To think that he still had the strength to use that!?_

A gigantic pillar of crimson fire, in the shape of a sword, erupted from the ground beneath the duo. Flaring up into the sky, it punched through the rain clouds overhead. Everything in the surrounding area was vaporised.

Stumbling from the blast, Yhwach was burned up his right side. The clothing that had covered his right arm and leg were gone, revealing scorched flesh.

"Suicidal fool," he spat out, looking down at where the Captain Commander had previously lay. Nothing remained but a pile of charred black ash.

Placing his hand to his temple, Yhwach closed his eyes.

**Lenora...** his voice echoed in the minds of every Sternritter in the Soul Society. **Summon the Soldat. It is time for the Sternritter to completely violate the Soul Society.**

As His Majesty's voice resonated in her head, Lenora flung her long red cloak over her shoulder and crouched down on the ground. He palm flattened and shadow began to creep along the floor. Swinging her arm up to the side, the shadow extended up the wall next to her. Swarming from the shadow, hundreds of soldiers dressed in white combat gear spilled into the streets of the Seireitei.

Advancing through the streets, the Soldat began to decimate the Soul Reaper forces without discrimination. Screams and explosions filled the air; buildings collapsing and bloody corpses falling to the ground.

Yhwach observed the carnage, his face stoic and unmoving.

The Gotei Thirteen was all but annihilated. Shinigami fell before the Quincy army in droves.

Soon the Royal Guard would arrive and they would have to retreat. Yhwach had accounted for that much in his plans.

Preparing to return to the Shadow Territory, the Quincy king closed his eyes.

An explosion of spiritual energy shot into the sky, from the top of Sokyoku Hill. The shockwave rippled through the destroyed buildings and slammed into Yhwach's back.

Turning slowly, Yhwach's deep crimson eyes twisted in confusion. "What on earth is that?"

* * *

><p>Ichigo Kurosaki gritted his teeth as he sprinted through the Dangai. The ache of his broken wrist was all but forgotten; his attention pinpointed on the rapidly disappearing Reiatsus ahead of him.<p>

He could see the exit ahead of him. Through the dimensional gateway, he could just about make out the narrow columns of the Sokyoku execution platform.

Reaching the end of the pathway, Ichigo stepped out onto the flat earth of the hill. Surrounding him were no less than thirty men, clad in white combat attire.

"In the name of His Majesty, you will go no further!" one of the masked men said, stepping forwards.

Ichigo didn't even bother to acknowledge him with a verbal response. Swinging his Zanpakuto in a wide arc, he let loose a massive burst of black spirit energy, sending the men flying. An explosion shot skyward, evaporating the rain that fell upon the Seireitei.

Walking slowly to the edge of the hill, Ichigo looked down over the battlefield.

_Rukia… Renji… Byakuya… Toshiro_

He began to shake. Anger coursed through his veins.

* * *

><p>"Ichigo Kurosaki…" Yhwach said, breaking into a wide smile. "So you've finally arrived."<p>

Ichigo's Reiatsu vanished. Yhwach frantically attempted to place exactly where the boy was.

A jet black sword fell from the sky and planted itself in the ground in front of the Quincy King, like a deformed flower. Landing in front of the blade and drawing it from the floor, Ichigo Kurosaki glared at Yhwach.

"Was it you?" he asked, speaking every word deliberately slow and intense.

"Was what me?" Yhwach replied, smiling.

"Are you the enemy leader?" Ichigo said, his broken wrist trembling. The chain attached to the hilt of his sword jangled as it shook.

"Enemy, huh…" Yhwach chuckled under his breath. Placing his hands on his hips, he bowed his head and continued to laugh. "I suppose you could say that I am… But at the same time I'm not."

"Don't fuck with me…" Ichigo hissed, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes. "I'm asking if you're the one that made such a mess of the Soul Society!" Rage gripped his features like a vice, a shockwave of spiritual pressure blasting from his body.

Yhwach swung his arms to his sides and splayed his fingers. "I am."

The Substitute Soul Reaper lunged at the Quincy King. Slamming his blade into Yhwach's forearm, he felt his wrist give way beneath the weight of the strike. Screaming in pain, he leaped back and changed his sword to his left hand before attacking again.

"Getsuga-!"

Yhwach grabbed the blade of the boy's sword and wrenched him into the path of a left-handed strike. Slamming his fist into the side of Ichigo's face, he floored the Shinigami and stomped down on his left wrist, trapping him.

"I was tempted to let you live, but it seems that there is no other way." Yhwach summoned a blade from a broach that he wore beneath his cloak and held it over his head. "I'm going to destroy you."

Stabbing the boy in the throat, the Quincy King felt an abnormal amount of resistance.

That was when he noticed it. Covering Ichigo's body were a series of glowing blue lines.

_Impossible…_ he thought. _Blut Vene? How?!_

Ichigo wrenched his wrist from beneath Yhwach's boot and fired a torrent of black spirit energy up at his enemy. The resulting explosion rocked the area, shaking the ground. The leader of the Sternritter was burned up his already charred limbs.

Leaping back, Yhwach stared down the boy.

_There is no way that could have been Blut… but…_

Yhwach swung his sword at Ichigo again. Grating across the skin of his throat, sparks shot into the air in a fierce flurry. Again the blue lines appeared atop Ichigo's skin.

"I knew that it was a mistake to send a pure-blooded Quincy to detain you," Yhwach mused, stepping back again. "I should have just sent a legion of disposable Arrancar."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, tightening his left hand's grip on his Zanpakuto.

"Fighting a pure blooded Quincy has caused the memories inside your Reiatsu to awaken…" He blocked an attack from Ichigo and stepped back. "Didn't you wonder how you were able to escape from Gillaume's Wall without tearing your body apart?" Yhwach pointed his blade at the markings on Ichigo's exposed arm. "Blut Vene; the heart of a Quincy's defence."

"Memories of Reiatsu? Quincys?" Ichigo shouted, lunging at the man again. The blade of his Bankai clashed against Yhwach's arm. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Ah, that's right…" the Quincy King laughed, blocking the strike. "You know nothing about yourself… Not the circumstances of your birth; nor your own mother."

"What are you-?"

"But alas, I have spoken too much. I am leaving, Ichigo Kurosaki." He turned away from the boy and dispersed his blade.

"I said: What the fuck are you saying!?" Ichigo screamed, lunging at Yhwach one final time.

Yhwach rounded on the boy, grasping his sword in one hand and reforming his own blade. Striking downward, he severed Ichigo's left arm at the wrist. Blood fountained across the floor, stark vermillion against grey rubble.

Dropping Tensa Zangetsu, Yhwach looked down at the Substitute Soul Reaper, kneeling and screaming; unable to even grasp the bloody stump due to his broken wrist.

"One day soon, I will return for you, Ichigo Kurosaki." He stomped down on the blade of the sword. Metal shattered and black shards littered the floor. "Heal your wounds and wait for my return…"

Black shadow rose from the floor and lapped at Yhwach's form. As it engulfed him, the Quincy King began to retreat.

"For, once we return, everything you hold dear will crumble." He vanished, leaving only his voice. "My son, born in the darkness."


	11. After the Fall

**Chapter 11: After the Fall**

"Teams 11 to 16, move out to east district 56!"

"Body collection is to be postponed! Prioritise the wounded!"

"Emergency transportation in progress! Please give us instructions, sir!"

"Take them to room 303!"

Squad Four dispersed into the ruins of the Seireitei the moment the Sternritter left the Soul Society. Wounded were collected and taken to the Squad Four barracks; what little there were.

The vast majority of Shinigami involved in the battle had been killed. Squad Eleven had suffered the heaviest losses, being at the front lines.

They recovered Lieutenant Renji Abarai in the wreckage of a collapsed building. Both of his arms were broken, as well as several of his ribs. Most of his organs had been ruptured by blunt force trauma.

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki had checked himself in to the Fourth Division barracks himself. He had deep lacerations all over his body. If those that treated him didn't know better, they would have said that the wounds had come from his own Zanpakuto.

Captain Sajin Komamura had several broken bones, but other than that no serious injuries. The same was said of Captain Rose.

Kenpachi Zaraki was not so lucky. He was retrieved, unconscious, from beneath the rubble surrounding Yamamoto's battlefield. Bloodied and beaten, he was barely breathing.

However, worst of all, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya's body was recovered after treatment on the survivors was complete. His entire body was covered in puncture wounds and cuts, and his internal organs were still frozen.

Upon seeing his corpse, Lieutenant Hinamori had to be removed from the room. Half-hysterical with grief, her screams could be heard across the entire of the Seireitei.

The Captain Commander's body was never recovered. The most that they were able to retrieve was his broken Zanpakuto. The ashes of his body had long ago been washed away by the rain.

Inside the Fourth Division barracks, Captain Retsu Unohana stood at the window, her form a statue set against the sky. Looking over the destruction the Quincys had left in their wake, her face remained emotionless.

Behind her, her Lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu bore a haggard and disturbed expression. Tears gripped her eyes as, by sheer force of will, she managed to hold them in.

"Why only now..." she whispered. "Are we being sent out...? Not a single member of Squad Four even left the barracks during the invasion... If we had done, we could have..." She trailed off as she attempted to fight back more tears.

"Isane..." Unohana said, softly. "You must not talk based on your feelings. It would have been easy to leave this place and join the fray. However, you know full well precisely why we could not do that..."

Finally releasing her tears, silently, Isane wept. "Yes, ma'am. I understand." Her thoughts, previously flooded with images of her dead sister, focused on what her Captain had said.

_I've been such a fool..._ she thought. _I should know better than anyone... Captain Unohana regrets not being able to save those we've lost, more than anyone here..._

"There is no need to cry, Isane..." Captain Unohana said, slowly. Not once did she look away from the window. "No matter what happens, do not leave this building." She looked up into the sky. "That was the last order the Captain Commander gave us."

* * *

><p>"Whaaaat?" Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) cried, in mock distress. "Mister Savagne is dead?"<p>

"That's what the report says," Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) said, leaning against a nearby wall and folding his arms.

"How did he go?" the black-haired girl asked, sticking the ice-lolly she held back into her mouth.

"It says in the Daten that the Captain Commander incinerated him," Sylvanus replied.

"How tragic," Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) said, from inside his hood. His voice was deadpan and disinterested.

"Jheeze, show a bit of sympathy, will you?" Tomoko said, taking a bite out of her frozen treat.

"How in Yhwach's name do you eat that crap?" Sternritter G, Onmar Gunther, said from his seated position on a nearby wall. He breathed into his hands, blowing hot air through them to keep warm. "It's like two degrees here; what are you, insane?"

"A side effect of my power is increased body heat," Tomoko explained, flicking her green eyes over her fellow Sternritter. "This helps keep me cool."

Onmar pulled an expression of distaste and lifted his top lip. The hairs on the back of his neck raised, attempting to fight off the cold. "I swear I'll never understand your power..."

"You don't need to understand it," she said, smiling around the lolly in her mouth and walking over towards her sitting comrade. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she began to massage him. "You just sit back and let me warm you up."

As the heat began to spread over his body, Onmar stopped rubbing his hands and sat up straight.

"It always baffles me, every time you do that," Sylvanus said, shifting his standing position and raising one eyebrow.

"It's no big deal," Tomoko said, removing her hands from Onmar's back. White sparks flickered from her hands. "I just stopped the equalisation of his body heat with the environment."

"No idea what you just said," Sylvanus said, half scoffing under his breath.

"You shouldn't bother trying to explain it," Basilisk muttered through the mask that covered the bottom half of his face. "People of lower intelligence would never be able to understand."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Sylvanus said, comically. "Though it has been said," he chuckled, "I am more of a fighter than a thinker."

"And that's why I'm glad you're on our side," Tomoko grinned, throwing a glance over at her comrade.

The group remained in silence for several seconds, until an uninvited guest walked into their midst.

Wandering through the group, a dazed expression on her face, a woman with long blonde hair walked straight into a wall. Flinching back from the contact, she fell to the floor and held her head gingerly in one hand.

"Ow..." she whimpered, blushing and closing one eye. "I hit my head..."

"You need to watch where you're going, Di," Onmar muttered, leaving his perch on the wall and sitting on the floor. Clasping his hands behind his head, he laid down on the floor, one leg crossed over the top of the other.

"I'm sorry," Dientlynne Deiweiber (Sternritter U) laughed, rubbing her head. "I just got distracted and started daydreaming."

Despite the majority of the Sternritter either forming cliques or acting on their own, there was always one face that was welcome everywhere. Dientlynne, or Di as many called her, was always a gentle and kind face. Frequently daydreaming, the woman was often found wandering the Silbern, vacantly.

Leaping to her feet and dusting off her frilly white dress, Di's long curly blonde hair bounced around her head. Bright pink eyes shone from her face.

"So what were we all talking about?" she asked, looking around the group with a curious expression.

"Mr Savagne is dead," Basilisk muttered, placing his hands on his hips and peering from the depths of his hood.

"No!" she cried, opening her mouth in a definable 'o'. "I loved Ferdie! How did he die?"

"Immolation," Basilisk replied, bluntly.

"What's that?" Di asked, placing a finger against her bottom lip and tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"He burned to death," Tomoko said, taking Onmar's vacant spot and sitting on the wall.

"Oh no! How awful..." She sighed and looked down at the floor. "Is that why we were ordered to retreat?"

"No," said Sylvanus, still leaning against the wall. "We were asked to withdraw because the Zero Division would be showing up soon."

"The who?" Di asked, puzzled.

"The elite Shinigami that guard the Soul King," Onmar explained, closing his eyes and shifting his laying position so that he was more comfortable.

"Oh, like His Majesty's Elite Guard!"

"Exactly," Tomoko said. "They're supposed to be inhumanly strong."

"Do you ever get the feeling that saying something too much causes the words to lose all meaning?" Sylvanus asked, absent-mindedly. "Ever since I became a Sternritter, everyone I've encountered has either been inhumanly strong, or just plain inhuman." He lowered one eyebrow. "What does 'inhuman' even mean, anyway?"

"I'm going to take a shot in the dark and assume that it means 'not human', Syl," Tomoko replied, chuckling.

"Yes, but what does it mean?" he persisted, running his fingers through his grey hair and leaning his head back against the wall. " 'Youre so strong, you're not human!' Well what are you? A fish?"

"They couldn't be a fish, fish have gills," Basilisk replied, without a hint of irony in his voice. His facial expression (what little could be seen of it) didn't change as he stared off into space. "They wouldn't be able to breathe."

"You know, sometimes I think you're not human," Sylvanus said, pointing at his hooded and masked associate.

"What, so you think I'm a fish?"

"That was just an expres- You know what, nevermind..." Sylvanus directed his attention back towards the remainder of the group. "Did the rest of you hear about Mann's death?" he asked, attempting to change the topic.

"Yeah, good riddance," Onmar replied, still not opening his eyes.

"Your amount of concern for our comrades really does baffle me sometimes," Tomoko said in disbelief, finishing her ice cream and inspecting the stick. "Hey I won!"

"Why should I care about a group of people who literally could not give less of a shit about me if they tried?" Onmar retorted, unclamping his hands behind his neck and tilting his head up. One pale green eye opened discerningly.

"You cared when you heard Mr Savagne died," the black-haired girl pointed out, pointing the popsicle stick towards him.

"That's because I liked him," Onmar grunted. "Almost made a bet with him about who could kill ten Shinigami the fastest."

"I take it he didn't take you up on that?" Sylvanus laughed. "Only an idiot would make that kind of bet with you.

"I know, shock horror..."

"Who do you think killed the most?" Di asked, staring off into space, her expression half-vacant.

"Probably one of the Sternritter that didn't fight a Captain," Basilisk replied.

"So you, then?" Tomoko said, scoffing.

"It's possible."

"You want to know what I wanna know?" Sylvanus asked.

"Not particularly," Onmar said, closing his eyes and laying back again.

"Why do you think Lord Yhwach left the Kurosaki boy alive?"

* * *

><p>Ichigo Kurosaki stood in one of the hallways of the Squad 4 barracks. Looking down at the stump of his left hand, he gritted his teeth and gripped the bandaged limb so tightly his wound nearly reopened.<p>

He had heard everything there was to know about the invasion. About how much destruction there was; how many people he knew had been either injured or killed. All while he had been trapped in the World of the Living.

"Shit..." he hissed, lifting his hand up and burying his face in his palm before he could cry. The Fourth Division had already set his broken bones and mended them.

"Ichigo," Rukia said, walking down the hallway towards him. "You really came here..."

Turning to face his friend, he broke into a faraway expression. "Of course... Though..." He looked down at his missing left hand and felt a twinge of pain through his chest as he recalled the Quincy leader's words. "I couldn't do anything to help... Hitsugaya is dead, and Renji is-"

"Shut up, you idiot," Rukia suddenly said, cutting him off. Her words were that of her usual self, but her face and voice were gripped by discomfort. "You managed to drive away the enemy leader... So don't say you did nothing."

Clenching his fist, tightly, at his side, Ichigo forced a smile. "Okay..."

Standing in silence, the pair didn't so much as make eye contact. Regret and sorrow hung in the air around them, as if suspended from the ceiling. The sounds of hurried operations could be heard faintly.

"Ichigo..." suddenly came a stoic voice from one of the doorways leading to the treatment rooms. Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad Five was leaning against the door. His forehead was bandaged, and across his body were various small knicks and cuts.

"Oh, hey Shinji," Ichigo said, turning towards him and smiling slightly.

"Coming to check up on the patients?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." he replied, moving to rub the side of his head and realising too late that he was missing his hand. Attempting to mask his discomfort, he moved his eyes over the Captain. "How is Renji?"

"He'll live," Shinji replied, softly. "He's still critical, but he'll live. We were past the point of using Kido to heal him, so he had to be operated on to fix the reishi in his body. The most we can do now is wait..."

"That's good..." Ichigo said, relief flooding his voice as he looked down at the ground.

"This really is a fine mess we've landed ourselves in..." Shinji muttered, looking over Ichigo. "Though I must say... I'm glad that you've come here, Ichigo. A few of the other Captains may be too proud to admit it, but... We could really use your help."

"You don't have to-"

"I'm not just saying it," Shinji interjected. "If you hadn't arrived when you did, and drawn their attention, there might have been a lot more of us being buried tonight."

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" a voice called from the end of the hallway. A short man, sporting a pair of thin-rimmed glasses beckoned Ichigo. "Captain Kurotsuchi is looking for you. About your Zanpakuto... Sir."

Ichigo looked over Shinji and smiled. Placing his right hand on the Captain's shoulder he sighed, weakly. "Thank you, Shinji."

Beginning to walk down the hallway, the orange-haired young man glanced over his shoulder at Rukia. His eyes held a weary edge to them.

"I'll see you later, Rukia. Don't push yourself too hard... And keep an eye on Renji for me."

Watching Ichigo run from the building, Shinji placed his hands on his hips and broke into a sigh. "Your wounds haven't even completely healed and yet there you go... You're always thinking too much about others, Ichigo." He spoke only half to himself. The other half wished that he could have said this all to Ichigo.

"Captain Hirako..." Rukia said, clutching the top of her left arm. "Why... do you think Ichigo is so sad...? I've known him longer than anyone else in the Soul Society, so I've come to realise... He only smiles and acts cheerful like that when something serious is bothering him. The last time I saw him like this... was on the anniversary of his mother's death." Worry clung to her face like dew on grass. Her deep purple eyes were contorted in concern.

"His Zanpakuto was broken, and he feels like he couldn't save anyone," Shinji said, glancing back at the direction in which Ichigo had ran. "He must be tired..."

"I'm not sure that that's it..." Rukia said, softly. "Is it really just that? Somehow I feel... Like he's shouldering something far more serious than that..."

* * *

><p>Ichigo ran through the incessant downpour towards the ruins of the Research and Development Institute. Rain soaked him through; his robes heavy on his body as he ran.<p>

Yhwach's words pulsed through his mind.

_You know nothing about yourself..._

Ichigo bit down on his bottom lip.

_Not the circumstances of your birth..._

Ichigo ran faster, his limbs a wild flurry around his body. Water whipped from his form as he thrashed through the rain. A cry of anger caught in his throat.

_Nor your own mother._


	12. After the Fall 2

**Chapter 12: After the Fall 2**

Ichigo Kurosaki stood in the middle of what was left of the Research and Development Institute. Metal protrusions and cracked concrete decorated the ceiling above him, from where the building had been torn from its foundations. The surface lab had been completely destroyed. What Ichigo resided in was the sub-lab, existing underground.

Flashing lights and control panels filled the walls around him in a cornucopia of flashing lights and humming sounds. Other than that, the room was almost completely unlit.

On a workbench in front of him, lay the shards of Ichigo's broken Bankai.

"I'm sorry to say this, but fixing your Bankai is impossible," Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Captain of Squad 12 said. His face was painted with a swries of black and white lines, and he sported an ostentatious attire resembling that of a golden Egyptian statue.

"What do you mean impossible?" Ichigo shouted, in disbelief. "You destroyed your own Bankai in the fight with Szayel-Apporo and managed to fix it."

"Remodelled it," Mayuri insisted, rolling his eyes. "I didn't fix it, I modified it, you stupid boy,"

He turned away and began to tap on a nearby control panel, talking over his shoulder at Ichigo.

"Ordinarily, when a Zapakuto is broken, all you need is the weilder's Reiatsu," he explained. "If you pour it into the blade steadily, over time, then the Zanpakuto will repair itself."

"Well if that's it then I should just take it home and-"

"You didn't let me finish." Mayuri turned back towards the orange-haired boy and locked his eyes in an unwavering gaze. "What I just said is true for the Shikai... Bankai is a completely different matter. A broken Bankai, will never return to how it once was."

Ichigo felt his heart leap in his chest. "What...?"

"Of course, there are exceptions," Mayuri went on. "Captain Komamura's Bankai is strongly linked to him. If he is injured, then so is his Bankai, and vice versa. While that is a great weakness, it also means that if he is healed, so is his Bankai." He pulled up a series of display graphs on a monitor behind him. "For research purposes, I have data on every Bankai in the Soul Society, and in all of my research, that is the only exception."

Ichigo began to tremble.

"Ikkaku Madarame's Bankai was destroyed in his battle with Edorad Lioness," Mayuri continued. "And while Akon was able to repair it somewhat, it is nowhere near as powerful as it was before..."

Ichigo forgot his anger for a brief second and pulled a dumbfounded face. "Ikkaku can Bankai?"

"Whoops, it appears I've said too much, Mayuri said, turning away. "Though it wasn't really much of a secret, he did make a point of telling nearly everyone about it... What an idiot."

Ichigo regained his stern expression. "What about Renji's Bankai? It got broken in his fight with Byakuya, and it seems fine now!"

"Have you ever counted the number of segments that make up his Bankai?"

Ichigo opened his eyes wide in shock.

"The segments of Renji's Bankai that were destroyed by Captain Kuchiki are still missing."

Ichigo gritted his teeth. "How am I supposed to fight without my Bankai?!"

"That's not my business," Mayuri stated, beginning to walk away from the boy. "My duty is only to report."

"This can't be the end of it!" Ichigo shouted, slamming his fist into the table on which his shattered blade lay. "You need to do something!"

"I do not need to do anything, Mr Kurosaki," said Mayuri, disinterested.

A sudden beeping filled the air. Opening his eyes wide, Mayuri reached inside his headdress and flipped some kind of hidden switch.

"Kurotsuchi... I see... Yes, he is with me." He sighed. "I shall come right away..." Turning back to Ichigo, he looked him up and down. Distasted plucked at his face slightly. "You need to come with me," he said. "They're going to want to meet you..."

"Who will?" Ichigo asked. "What's going on?"

"Squad Zero," Mayuri said, narrowing his eyes. "The Royal Guard are on their way here."

* * *

><p>Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) stormed through the Silbern, his tattered white cloak flaring up at his back. His matted, dishevelled hair and matching beard jumped around his face. At his side, Legion's hand was trembling.<p>

Pushing past a group of Soldat, he sent them tumbling over one-another and continued on his way.

"What's up with him?" Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) asked, looking down at the older Sternritter's advance from the top of a nearby building.

"He's been like that since the invasion," Snow (Sternritter Y) replied, sipping from the glass that he held in his hand. His long, womanly hair was pulled behind his head into a loose ponytail. "Even when he joined Joseph and I when we attacked the Head Captain, he was like it."

"What do you think it is?" the young woman asked, raising her hand to her face and beginning to chew on the flesh between her index finger and thumb.

"Not a clue..." Snow replied, gazing lazily down at the older man. "Maybe he's sick or something... His hand's been trembling a lot. It seems he's having difficulty gripping things. He's probably on his way to see Jamina now to fix it."

"Perhaps he's just getting old," Clarlonde said.

"Maybe..." the white-haired man said, returning his gaze to Clarlonde. His expression was flat and his pale eyes half-closed.

"I really wish you weren't so wishy-washy sometimes," Clarlonde said. "You're too apathetic. Girls don't like that, they like decisiveness; action."

"I'm not interested in girls, Clarlonde."

"Men like action too."

"I'm not interested in men, either," he snipped. Drinking a big gulp from the glass in his hand, again, he pulled a face and shook his head.

"What is your thing?" Clarlonde inquired. "I don't think I've ever asked."

"I don't have a 'thing'," Snow replied, putting his glass down on the table in front of him and pouring out another drink.

"Everyone has a thing."

"Not me."

"You really are a fascinating person," Clarlonde said, mockingly.

"I try." He tapped on another glass before pouring a second drink. "Have a drink with me: We're celebrating."

"Celebrating what?"

"The first invasion was a success, we've decimated the Shinigami. And most importantly..." He smiled to himself and sipped his own beverage. "I've killed a Captain and acquired myself a Bankai." Reaching over the table, he pushed the other glass towards Clarlonde. "So have a drink."

"I don't drink," she replied, pushing it back.

"It will help with those nerves of yours," Snow insisted.

"What nerves?" Clarlonde asked, defensively. She raised one eyebrow and began to chew on her hand again.

"You hide it well enough," he said, continuing to drink. "But nowhere near as well as you think you do. You talk confidently so people don't notice at first..." He pointed at her hand in front of her face. "But that's what gives you away."

Suddenly realising what she was doing, Clarlonde pulled her had away from her mouth and clasped it in her free hand atop her lap. Her purple eyes were twisted in distress.

"Don't worry," Snow said, calmly. "I won't tell anyone. But really..." He sipped again. "It is good for your nerves."

* * *

><p>Jamina Jazdera (Sternritter I) was sat on her bed, reading. Her pink locks hung softly around her face and her red eyes were moving slowly, tracing the pattern of words that decorated the pages of the book she was reading.<p>

The door on the far side of her room burst open and slammed against the wall. Legion Longstride stormed into Jamina's living quarters. His face was so wound up that the whites of his eyes formed close to perfect rings around his irises.

"You!" he shouted, hobbling over to her, using his white cane for support. "Heal me, now!"

"I already told you," Jamina said, putting her book down beside her and rising to her feet. "I can't heal your weak joints, they'll just go back to normal."

"Not that," he hissed, beginning to breathe hard. "Something happened to me in the invasion!"

"It's just a few burns," Jamina said, dismissing him as she walked towards the old man. Touching his arm, she smiled. "It could have been a lot worse; your Blut blocked most of it."

"That's not what I'm talking about," he snapped, shaking her off of his arm. He lifted his left arm and thrust the back of his hand into her face. "Look at this!" It was trembling violently. "I can't get it to stop!"

Jamina suddenly broke her lighthearted expression and pulled a concerned face. "Sit down."

Legion complied and sat down on a nearby chair.

"I need you to remove your mantle," Jamina said, indicating his tattered and stained cloak. She pulled a set of syringes and vials from a drawer beside her bed. "And your uniform."

Attempting to remove his clothes, Legion let out a frustrated cry of rage as his trembling hand fumbled with the buttons and pins. Jamina turned around, set down her utensils on the table and helped him.

As soon as she removed his shirt, Jamina gasped. The flesh under the his left arm, over his ribs, had begun to rot. Skin and muscle was peeling away from the bones and was a discoloured shade of brown.

"Oh my god..." she whispered, under her breath.

"What is it?" the old man grunted, looking down at where she was inspecting. "Holy shit..."

"The necrosis is spreading quickly," Jamina said, prompting Legion to lift his arm. "It's reached the nerves under your arms, which explains the trembling."

Jamina reached over towards the table and grabbed a syringe and a vial of clear liquid. Extracting a small amount of the fluid into the syringe, she turned it upside down and squirted a small amount of it out. Flicking the side of the instrument, airborne reishi flowed into it and the liquid had soon turned luminous blue.

Injecting the glowing fluid into Legion's forearm, Jamina looked up at him. "This should stop the necrosis. However, until I can figure out what's causing it, different symptoms could come up elsewhere."

Legion observed his side as the rotting flesh began to heal. Within several seconds, it had almost completely mended. "I'm glad we have you around... That ability of yours sure is convenient."

Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) chuckled and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Make sure you come back here every day. If you don't, I can't promise I won't come back."

"What do you think it is?" Legion asked, clenching his left fist repeatedly.

"Not a clue..." she said in reply. "Maybe one of the Shinigami did something to you. Like a spell or something."

"Maybe..." he muttered. "Still... I think I came out best. I got one of their Bankais after all."

* * *

><p>Ten of the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen were gathered in the Rukongai, just outside the North Black Ridge Gate. Smoke could still be seen, rising from the wreckage of the Seireitei.<p>

The weather was unusually pleasant, given the situation. The sun lapped gently at the ground, few clouds remaining in the sky to impede it. The sky was rich and blue, expanding endlessly overhead.

Ichigo was stood off to the side of the assembled party, glancing around himself in a confused fashion. "Where are the Zero Division based?" he asked, glancing over at Shinji Hirako. "And why didn't they come out during the fight with the Quincys?"

"They come from the Soul King's Palace," Shunsui Kyoraku suddenly said, not even bothering to turn around.

"But... Isn't the Soul King's Palace in the Seireitei?" Ichigo asked.

"Ichigo... Do you remember the first time you came here?" Kyoraku questioned, glancing over his shoulder. "The wall that surrounds the Seireitei came down from the sky. That wall is only supposed to come down during emergency situations... So I ask you: If it is only supposed to be here for emergencies, what is it usually protecting?"

Ichigo opened his eyes wide in realisation.

Byakuya Kuchiki, who was stood several feet to Kyoraku's left, turned back towards Ichigo. "Look up. They will be arriving soon."

Almost as if arriving on cue, an enormous stone pillar dropped from the sky and collided with the ground. Rock crushed and caved beneath it, and dust flew into the air. The resounding crash that accompanied it was so loud that Ichigo thought his eardrums were going to burst. He lifted his severed left wrist to shield his eyes from the dust.

"What the...?" he gasped, eyeing it as the dust cleared.

"The Tenchu-Uren," Byakuya explained. "This is the Zero Division's means of transportation."

"The members of the Zero Division are all inside of it," Kyoraku said, adding to the explanation.

"All of them?" Ichigo asked, eyes open wide. "But how do they all fit inside that thing?"

"The Zero Division only has five members," said Kyoraku, turning away from Ichigo as a door on the side of the pillar began to open. "All five of them are Captains. And... Their combined strength surpasses the entire force of the Gotei Thirteen, put together."


	13. The Royal Guard

**Chapter 13: The Royal Guard**

Ichigo had no idea what to make of what stood in front of him. His face was contorted into an expression of pure disbelief and horror.

"Wooooooo!" one of the Zero Division members hooted enthusiastically.

Another was honking a horn.

A third released multi-coloured streamers overhead.

_I literally have no response to this..._

The foremost member of the group was stout and bald with a long black beard and a wide smile. On his feet he wore strange sandals that were more like tall blocks of wood. Behind him, holding a banner over his head, was a lean man with a pompadour so huge that it almost blocked out the sun. Stood at the back of the group were two women; one monstrously obese and the other bearing an expression of terrifying melancholy. Poking his head around the body of the slender woman, was a thin yet muscular man with a black Afro and sunglasses. He was throwing the "victory" sign with his left hand and grinning widely.

"Nice to see you, yes it is!" the man with the pompadour shouted. "The Royal Guard are here!"

Ichigo felt the beginnings of a nosebleed dripping down his upper lip.

"What's the matter, Kurosaki?" Byakuya asked, glancing sidelong at him and indicating the blood.

"Nothing, just... An anuerysm out of sheer stupidity..."

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" Shinji said, distaste etched across his face.

"How are you feeling, little chickadees of the Gotei Thirteen?" the pompadour man continued to shout. "Are you eating and sleeping well? Huh?!"

Ichigo continued to stare, completely dumbfounded.

"I see why you're surprised," Shinji groaned. "They're clearly insane."

The Captain of Squad Five was suddenly struck across the back of the head by a huge ham-hock of a hand. Lurching forwards, he stumbled and fell to his knees.

"What the hell was that?!" Shinji shouted, lifting his head and glaring back at the obese woman who had arrived as part of the Royal Guard.

"Oh come on, Shinji-Chan," the woman laughed, playfully. "That was just a love-tap. Where is Hiyori-Chan? It's strange not seeing you two together!"

"What are you-!?" he shouted, before catching himself. Recognition phased onto his face. "Wait, you can't be...?"

"You're saying you don't recognise me?" Kirio Hikifune (former Captain of Squad Twelve) cried, pouting. Her huge frame shook as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It's me, Kirio!"

"K-Kirio Hikifune!" Shinji stammered, shocked. "What happened to you?! You look so different!"

"Oh-ho! Shinji!" Kirio laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "I haven't changed that much!"

"Of- course you haven't!" the blonde man said, catching himself. "I- it's just been so long since I've see how be-eeautiful you were!"

"You always were a charmer!" Kirio cried out, playfully slapping him across the arm and sending the Captain flying.

Meanwhile, the tallest member of the Zero Division had made his way over to Captain Retsu Unohana. Leaning forwards with his hands on his hips, his pompadour almost seemed to curve around the back of the woman's head, holding her in place.

"Yo..." he hissed. "Been a long time, Unohana." His eyes widened malevolently and his pupils pinpricked. "You still using those healing techniques I taught you?"

The female Captain remained calm. "Naturally."

"Really?!" he cried out, leaping backwards and throwing his hands up in the air. "Well if that were the case, then how come so many people died? Huh?!"

"Now now!" the portly bald man cried, leaping up and hooking his shoulder over his comrade's neck. "Let's not hound the poor woman! I know it's been a long time, but we can catch up later!"

"Well, it appears the Royal Guard haven't changed..." Shunsui Kyoraku said, slowly walking forwards; his expression deep and brooding. He was acting unusually out of character, compared to his usual cheerful self. "So tell me... What is your reason for finally showing up?"

The bald man turned towards Kyoraku and opened his eyes wide. Stood behind the Captain, Ichigo Kurosaki maintained his confused face. Rather than Kyoraku, it was him that the Zero Squad member's attention was directed to.

"You are Ichigo Kurosaki..." he said. "We have arrived in the Soul Society to enact the will of the Soul King and rebuild the Seireitei. But first... Ichigo Kurosaki; we shall be taking you to the Royal Palace."

"Don't fuck with me!" Captain Sui-Feng suddenly shouted.

The attention of everyone gathered simultaneously turned towards her.

"I don't care how important you are; where were you when we were being attacked?! While you were sitting back, the Seireitei was reduced to this!" She swung her arm and indicated the smouldering rubble that once was the Court of Pure Souls. "And now you have the gall to come here and say you'll rebuild it?! Give me a break!"

The bald man didn't even respond. Turning back to Kyoraku and Ichigo he began again: "As I was saying-"

"Hey!" Sui-Feng shouted. "I'm talking to you!"

As soon as she took a step forwards, she felt a hand around her wrist. Her arm was wrenched up her back and in pinned firmly in place.

"You're too loud," the pompadour man said, looking down at Sui-Feng and tightening his grip on her arm.

_When did he get behind me?! I didn't even see him move!_

"Give you a break?" he hissed. "That's my line. You're the Thirteen Court Guard Squads; it's your job to defend the Seireitei, not ours. Our job is to protect the Royal Palace. If you can't even do your job without help, then you're dishonouring your name."

Sui-Feng gritted her teeth and began to tremble. How dare he speak to me like that!

"I said, not now!" suddenly called out a musical voice.

The bald man leaped into the air and planted a karate-chop down on his comrade's head. Pompadour's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor, foaming at the mouth.

"We need to finish doing what we came here for." He folded his arms across his chest.

"That was a bit harsh..." Kyoraku said, looking down at the writhing Royal Guard.

"He needs to learn," the bald man said, matter-of-factly. "Before we get caught up with admonishing others and reminiscing old times, we must do the job we came here to do."

"There is no need," a calm female voice said. The second female member of the Royal Guard stood surrounded by two spheres, her face flat and emotionless. Around her, several automated arms, like those of a marionette, floated. "I have already gathered all of the things that we came here to collect."

Inside one of the flowing balls was Renji Abarai, his bandaged body and red hair just about visible past the glare of the sun. The second ball contained fragments of shattered black metal.

"All we need now..." the woman said, reaching out with one of her mechanical arms. "Is you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Curious..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi said, stepping forwards and rubbing his chin with his fingers. "Inside one of those spheres is Tensa Zangetsu, and yet I do not recall granting you access to my laboratory. How did you manage to worm your way inside?"

"Ah, Mayuri," Senjumaru Shutara (Master of Threads) said, tilting her head to the side. "I can assure you that I did not worm my way into anything... I merely reached out with my arms, and the doors yielded beneath them." She broke into a subtle smile. "Though I must commend you. Security is much tighter than the last time I paid it a visit."

"W-wait!" Ichigo suddenly cried out, gaining the attention of the Zero Division. "Why are you taking my Tensa Zangetsu? And why do you need me and Renji?"

The bald man looked him up and down, slowly. "You shall find out soon enough."

Ichigo was left to contemplate the meaning behind his words for several seconds. A brief flutter of hope filled his chest that, maybe they would be able to repair his Bankai. At the very least restore his hand.

His thoughts were ended as a cheerful voice cut through the silence.

**"Hellooooo~!"**

* * *

><p>Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) swung her legs back and forth, over the edge of her work bench. Hanging from her mouth was half of a sandwich, that had been cut into a triangle.<p>

Seemingly lost in thought, her fingers blurred as she worked on a puzzle box. Clicking of wood on wood filled the room.

During the first invasion, Adelaid had made a point of participating as little as possible. It wasn't that she was lazy, far from it. It was more due to the fact that being an active member would have meant associating with the other Sternritter.

Adelaid was a very quiet and private girl, much preferring her own company over that of others.

The truth of the matter was, there was only one Sternritter who she was actually able to talk to. And even then, it could not happen very often.

Placing the completed puzzle down on the table beside her, Adelaid pushed her bright blue hair behind her ear and finally took a bite out of the sandwich clasped between her teeth. Chewing the snack, she leapt down from the table and began to walk through her personal quarters.

The room was spacious yet cosy, with a high ceiling. As with most, if not all, of the architecture withing the Silbern, every surface was white. Silver objects occasionally broke apart the absence of colour, holding focus cleanly.

Adelaid's eyes flicked over the room and noticed a small fly sitting on the wall. Firing a needle-like blast of spirit energy, she vaporised the bug with a subtle tut.

"That bastard..." she muttered under her breath, before finishing her sandwich.

Opening the door to her room, Adelaid exited and began to walk down the hallway outside of her lodging. Making for the Palace, she lost herself in thought.

_I don't think I'll be able to get away with just killing a few random Shinigami next time... _she thought._ During the second invasion, His Majesty will definitely want all of us on the front lines. That means I'm probably going to have to at least talk to the others. Unless Lenora decides to go all control-freak again and plan the attack for us. That way I can get off without having to put in my two cents..._

Turning a corner, Adelaid exited the building. Feeling the chilling air against her exposed legs, she regretted her choice of short-shorts as her unique modification to the Sternritter uniform. Then again, she did think that they made her look cute.

Black combat boots crunched against the snow that littered the floor. As another wisp of wind blew past her, she reached down and pulled up her light blue stockings higher on her thighs.

Adelaid stopped dead in the middle of the street. Sitting in the snow, looking around itself, was a snow rabbit. Its white pelt almost completely blended the animal with it's surroundings; save for its eyes.

She felt a deep emotion surge through her body. Adelaid began to tremble. Her hair turned from its usual shade of blue to bright red. "It's... It's..."

Adelaid leapt into the air and dived for the rabbit.

"So cuuuuute~!"

* * *

><p>Watching Adelaid chase the bunny, from the window of his lodging, Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) sighed deeply.<p>

Despite her distant and quiet persona, much like his own, Adelaid had a curious fondness for creatures or individuals that she found "cute". The whole idea was strange and alien to the white-haired man.

Clambering down from the ledge, back into his room, Asuma thought to himself. He was disappointed that he was unable to acquire a Bankai during the initial attack on the Shinigami.

He had even specifically chosen his point of entrance close to the Squad Six barracks in hopes of encountering Byakuya Kuchiki for that very purpose. Unfortunately, Joseph had gotten to him first and Asuma was left to fight against an opponent so weak that he had defeated Renji before he could even think about using Bankai.

Flexing his fingers, Asuma eyed the tendons in his wrist.

He was glad that the first invasion had happened at night; it meant that he was able to fight without pulling any punches. Unfortunately all of the strange weather that occurred within the Seireitei during the attack had dampened his reaction time slightly. In a perfect world, the second invasion would happen at night as well.

Asuma looked out of his window. It was always night in the Silbern.

He wondered if, during the next attack, he would be able to fight a member of the Royal Guard.


	14. Shooting Star Project

**Chapter 14: Shooting Star Project [Royal Tracklist]**

**"Hellooooo~!"** rang out a lighthearted voice.

Ichigo glanced down and pulled out the cellphone that Urahara had given him. Flipping it open, Ichigo was greeted with a projection of the store owner shooting into the air, from the screen of the device.

**"It's nice to see you everyone!" **he said. **"My my, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" **Beneath the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat, Urahara was smiling cheerfully. **"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to connect, but I'm afraid there was a lot of interference your end. I must say, Mayuri, you really do need to build your communications towers with stronger stuff."**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi hissed between his teeth and attempted to swipe the phone from Ichigo's hand. The orange-haired youth pulled it out of the way and looked up at the hologram.

"Urahara!" he shouted. "What happened to the Quincy I was fighting after I left?"

**"Oh, Mr DaVinci!" **Urahara clapped his hands.** "As you can see..."** The image on the projection moved rapidly to the side to reveal an elderly man chained against a rock. **"He's been detained. Fascinating, I must say. I was able to learn so much about our foes from studying him."**

The gathered Captains and Squad Zero members all eyed the hologram with soft focus on their faces.

"And what have you discovered?" Shunsui Kyoraku asked, taking a step forwards.

**"I'm so glad you asked!"** Urahara said, as the camera's focus returned to him. **"I'm sure you're all more than aware of the ability that they possess, whereby they are able to steal an individual's Bankai."** Rose and Komamura gritted their teeth. **"They do this by using a small medallion that they possess. I managed to retrieve one from the arm of an Arrancar the enemy used to surprise Ichigo at the beginning of the battle. I'm currently in the process of analysing it in order to determine a weakness that we could exploit."** He steepled his fingers in front of his body. **"However, that is far from their only power... I noticed when the Quincy was fighting Ichigo that he was able to block slashes from a Zanpakuto with his bare hands. This technique is something called Blut. There are two variations two it, but the premise for both is the same: The Quincys infuse their blood with reishi and pass it through their systems. However, there is one major weakness to it. There are two separate kinds, one for attack and the other for defence... And as such, they cannot be operated at the same time."**

Several of the Captains opened their eyes wide in dismay. With this kind of information they would certainly be able to come up with counter-measures against their enemy.

**"Another ability that I managed to discover, during my own encounter with the Quincy, is known as the Vollständig,"** Urahara continued. **"In an attempt to quickly dispatch me and chase after Kurosaki-Kun, Mr DaVinci activated it and fought me. I'm sure you're all aware of the Quincy Letz-Stil... The Vollständig is, essentially, an upgraded version of this. It overcomes all of the downsides to the Letz-Stil, and grants the user insurmountable power. Think of this as the Quincy's version of Bankai. It is by far the easiest of their abilities to recognise, as it changes their appearance drastically."**

"None of them used such a thing in the invasion," Komamura said, taking a step forwards and lowering his brow over his yellow eyes.

**"Which gives you an idea of just how dangerous these enemies are," **Urahara said.** "They were able to reduce Soul Society to this without even using their full power."**

Ichigo swallowed hard. Beneath the bandage adorning his left arm, his severed wrist throbbed.

**"Furthermore-"** Urahara began, before being cut off.

**"Hey! What the hell are you doing over there?!"** the voice said, sharply.

Ichigo gasped and opened his eyes, wide. "Urahara, that voice... Why is-?"

**"Huh?! What's that I can hear? Is that that bastard Kurosaki?!"**

Urahara whirled away from the camera and dashed towards the apparent source of the voice. **"No! No! He's not here!"**

**"Don't lie to me! Kurosaki!"**

**"Ururu, Tessai! Restrain him!"**

**"AAAAHHHHH!"**

"Urahara, why is he there?!" Ichigo shouted. "Answer me!"

**"Ichigo..."** Urahara said, finally moving back on-screen. His voice was low and his expression strangely serious. **"There is no need to worry about me. Instead... Focus on what is needed. Do what you need to do. I trust you to make the right decision."** He broke into a slight smile and indicated the individual that had interrupted him.** "And if you're worried about him, don't. I was the one who brought him here... I managed to make a very nice contract with him."**

The hologram vanished as the communication ended.

Ichigo clenched his one remaining fist. He took a deep breath.

"Hey, bald guy," he said, directing the question at the Zero Squad member that had addressed him earlier. "If I come with you... Will you be able to fix my Tensa Zangetsu... And give me back my hand?"

"I'm afraid that is impossible," the man replied. "Broken Bankais cannot be fixed, and hands cannot be reformed from nothing."

Ichigo hung his head. His voice caught in his throat.

"However," the bald man continued. "In the Royal Palace it would be possible to re-forge your sword into something similar to the original."

Ichigo found his voice and turned to face the Zero Division. His expression was stern and filled with resolve. "Okay. Take me to the Palace."

* * *

><p>Yhwach sat upon his throne, gazing down upon the Silbern.<p>

The cool air of the eternal night swept past him, catching his long black hair and wild mutton chops. Breathing out slowly, his breath fluttered out into the air as a whisp of smoke. Deep crimson eyes lingered on the buildings in melancholy.

The Quincy King was roused from his subdued state by the sound of a voice.

"Your Majesty," Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) said, bowing low before approaching his throne.

"Ah, Lenora," he said, turning his head and peering out of the corner of his eye. "What brings you to my chamber?"

"We have located Uryu Ishida, as you instructed, sir," Lenora said, pushing her red and purple hair behind her ear.

"Good..." Yhwach said, his deep voice echoing through the room. "Who was it that identified him?"

"I believe it was Luuders, Your Majesty," she replied, placing her hands on her hips and leaning back.

"Then he has served his purpose." Yhwach's eyes returned to the horizon. "Have him executed."

"Your Majesty..." Lenora said, hesitantly. "If you pardon my rudeness... Arrancar are a valuable resource, as they do not require military training. Are you sure that it's wise to kill them so indiscriminately?"

"It doesn't matter," Yhwach said. "If we need more, we can find as many as we want. After all... Hueco Mundo is already under our control." A sinister smile plucked his lips. "It's just another stepping stone to our victory over the Soul Society."

* * *

><p>Zeit Mehere (Sternritter O) sat on the edge of an overhanging cliff. His hair was white and fluffy, flaring up from his head like soft flames. Several whips of hair on the right side of his head stood out, jet black. Draped over his Sternritter uniform, he wore a silver poncho, trimmed with red.<p>

His eyes, pitch black, stared down at the dome of Las Noches. The enormous roof was almost completely destroyed. All around it, Hueco Mundo was burning.

The white sand was on fire. Blue flames curled upwards, lapping at the sky. They showed no signs of extinguishing.

Drumming his fingers against the rock, Zeit's childlike face broke into a pout. He very rarely spoke, meaning a number of his fellows chose to avoid him. Hueco Mundo was perfect for him. It was peace and quiet.

The Jagdarmee were busy below him rounding up yet more Arrancar for forced conscription into the Vandenreich ranks. Their invasion of the Hollow territory had occurred surprisingly smoothly.

The only anomaly had been the record of a Garganta opening several miles away from their base in Las Noches. However, given the situation, one or two Hollows escaping to the world of the living was not uncommon.

A crackle filled Zeit's head as the receiver in his ear sprang to life.

**"Zeit, are you there?"** Lenora's voice asked. **"Tap the receiver if you are."**

Reaching up, the boy tapped on the device in his ear. He heard a slight thump as the strike roused a pulse of bass.

**"Good,"** Lenora said. **"I need you to round up one final Squad of Arrancar. Once you're finished with that, return to the Silbern. We've received a report that the Royal Guard have finally appeared in the Soul Society. The second invasion will be happening soon, so we're going to need you back."**

Zeit tapped on the earpiece again, to signal that he understood.

**"Okay,"** the woman replied. **"I'll see you soon."**

* * *

><p>Ichigo stared up at the sign, his face a mixture of annoyance and confusion.<p>

Above him, two gigantic stone statues held a bright red banner, reading: "Welcome to Kukaku Shiba's Palace".

"Why on earth are we here?" he asked, his face not breaking from the expression that held it.

"What do you mean, why are you here?!" Kukaku Shiba raged, storming up to him. "Is that any way to greet me after so long? You keep that attitude up and I'm not going to launch you!"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, exasperated. He slumped over, deflated from the mental stress of having to deal with Kukaku and the Zero Squad.

The bald member of the Zero Division hopped to the side and indicated the pillar that the Royal Guard had descended in, in a theatrical manner. "She is talking about shooting us back up in this!"

"You've got to be kidding me?"

"Now why would I do that, Ichigo Kurosaki?" he asked, his eyes wide and blank. "Look at the Tenchuuren; can you see any kind of propulsion system on it? It can't make it's way back up to the Royal Palace on it's own."

"So much for the legendary Zero Division," Ichigo groaned, averting his eyes and scratching his head.

Looking around the familiar surroundings of Kukaku's house, Ichigo realised that something was amiss.

"Hey, Kukaku... Where's Ganju?" he asked, pulling a confused face.

"Not a clue," she replied, slightly disgruntled. "He's probably off playing with his new friends or something..." Her single arm indicated the statues holding aloft the sign above her house. "Or would you believe me if I said I'd turned him into stone and made him hold up the banner?"

Ichigo only groaned and buried his face in his hand.

"So," the bald man said, slapping him on the back. "Are you ready to depart?"

"Call me crazy, but I really don't think this is safe," Ichigo said, as the stone pillar was lifted into the Flower Crane Cannon.

"Nonsense, my boy," he replied, his smile wide and beaming. "For centuries, he Shiba clan has been entrusted with the transportation of the Royal Guard. What did you think this cannon was for?"

"Fireworks," Ichigo said, bluntly, without missing a beat.

The Squad Zero member burst out laughing, repeatedly slapping the orange-haired youth in the back. "Very amusing, Ichigo Kurosaki!" he howled, following the boy into the cannon and entering the stone pillar.

"I wasn't joking," Ichigo said, exasperated.

Looking around himself, Ichigo's flat expression suddenly filled with intrigue. The inside of the stone column was not what he was expecting. The walls and floor were perfectly flat and smooth; so much so that it no longer looked like rock, but rather polished porcelain. Around the edge of the open space were several seats; room for the five Zero Division members, plus another three. Floating in the middle of the pillar were the two orbs that Shutara had enclosed around Renji, and Ichigo's Zanpakuto.

The Royal guard members assumed their positions, sat upon the seats, and Ichigo followed suit. As soon as he sat down, however, he realised something was amiss.

"Um... There aren't any seatbelts?" he said, unsure over what was going on.

The bald man only stared at him, blankly. "What are seatbelts?"

The Tenchuuren was launched into the air with so much force that it soon disappeared into the sky. The only thing that remained were the sounds of Ichigo's terrified screams.

As Kukaku stood, looking up at the sky, a figure walked up behind her.

"You missed your chance to see him off," she said, not even bothering to turn around. "Are you really okay with that?"

"I'll be able to see him soon enough," came the reply. "In the meantime, I can just focus on getting stronger."

"I guess you're right," Kukaku smirked. "Still... Letting him go to the Royal Palace. Do you think uncle will be okay with it?"

"He was going to find out eventually," the figure said.

"Hey," Kukaku said, finally turning around. "Ganju!"

Ganju Shiba, who was in the process of walking away, looked back at his sister. "Yeah?"

"Don't think I'm going to let you off if you don't fight in the next invasion." Kukaku broke into another smile.

"Don't worry," a large man with slicked back black hair said, appearing around the side of the building. "I don't think he's going to skip out on it."

"So I take it you're going to be fighting then, Ginjo?" another man said, addressing the first. He had long hair and a scar across his forehead.

"Of course," Ginjo replied, flicking his eyes to the side. "It's the least I can do to repay these guys for taking me in. Wouldn't you agree, Tsukishima?"

Tsukishima broke into a strange smile. "I guess you're right." He folded his arms over his chest. "Still... It is a shame that Giriko Kutsuzawa declined Miss Shiba's offer to train here."

"Each to their own," Ginjo said, turning his attention back towards Ganju. "So... You going to resume training with us, or not?"

Ganju broke into a smirk. "Of course."


	15. Hot Springs Demon

**Chapter 15: Hot Springs Demon**

The door to the Tenchuuren swung open as the pillar landed in the Royal Palace. Ichigo fell from the contraption, his head twisted at an odd angle.

Cursing the device for its lack of seatbelts, Ichigo rubbed the side of his head with his right hand and rose to his feet. Due to his closed eyes, he still had yet to look upon the Palace.

"Open your eyes, Ichigo Kurosaki!" the bald man said, laughing cheerfully. "For we have arrived!"

Opening his eyes, Ichigo drank in his surroundings. Expanding ahead of him was a wide white pathway, decorated and framed by numerous white pillars. At the end of the path, there appeared to be a large city, above which floated a flat platform. Snaking up through this city, from the edge of the path and connected to the platform, was a long staircase.

Higher still, five humongous disks were suspended in midair. Atop these structures, the specs of five more cities could be seen.

At the centre of it all, was a construct beyond comprehension. Resembling a giant cocoon, formed from stone, it hung in the very middle of the sky. Thousands of windows adorned its sides. It almost seemed to draw Ichigo's gaze towards it, like a magnetic force.

"You should feel honoured!" the bald man said, smiling absent-mindedly as he began to walk down the path. "A simple Shinigami is not usually allowed to enter this place." He pulled an odd face and placed his finger against his bottom lip. "However, it isn't really right to say that you are a 'simple Shinigami', is it?"

Ichigo didn't bother to listen to the bald man. His attention was still completely focused on the Palace ahead of him.

_This is what Aizen was trying to get to..._

As he thought about his battle with Aizen, and his old enemy's goal, he came to a sudden realisation.

"H-hang on a second!" he called out, after the Zero Division, who were already far ahead of him. "I thought you needed an Oken in order to enter the Palace! When did we use one?"

The man with the pompadour turned and grinned. Lifting his arm, he pulled down his sleeve and exposed his limb. "This is the Oken." He clenched is fist and flexed his muscles. "The Oken is a gift granted by the Soul King to those who become a member of the Royal Guard. The only way to enter the Palace is if you come with us or we decide to let you in."

Ichigo's eyes were open wide with confusion as he looked at the man.

"The Oken is our bones themselves," the bald man explained, joining his comrade. "What Aizen was trying to do, to enter the Palace, was to create life itself."

Senjumaru Shuutaru continued along the pathway, her robes billowing around her. "He was attempting to defile God by creating life itself. Attempting to become the new God." She looked over her shoulder, past the orbs floating behind her. "Sosuke Aizen was truly the personification of evil."

* * *

><p>"Have you heard?" Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) said, leaning back in the chair in which he sat. "His Majesty has ordered Zeit to return here."<p>

"Really?" Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) asked, surprise plucking her face. "That must mean the next invasion really is going to be it."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Sylvanus said, glancing sidelong at her. "We're really playing all of our cards at once."

"Do you think we're all going to survive this?" Jamina questioned, turning her feet outwards and placing her chin in her hands.

"I'm not sure," Sylvanus replied. "We lost two in the first invasion, after all." He scratched at the black stubble around the back of his head.

"If more of the Sternritter do get hurt, do you think I'll be able to save all of them?" Her deep red eyes focused on Sylvanus' face, discerningly. Despite her often ditsy and carefree attitude, Jamina was very astute and thoughtful when the time arose.

"I don't think you should think like that," he said, closing his eyes. "You shouldn't focus on what-if's. You just need to save who you can and be glad that you've saved anyone at all."

Jamina stared at her comrade for a long while. "It's all so easy for you isn't it?" She suddenly said. "You have the option to pick and choose. If it's someone that you like, you can help them... And then if not, you can just as easily walk away."

"It's not that simple," Sylvanus said, still with his eyes closed. "You're right, there aren't very many Sternritter that I like, but... If I saw someone dying, I don't think I could walk away. Even if they were someone that I hated."

The young girl studied the older man. A lock of bright pink hair fell in front of her face as she tilted her head to the side. "And why is that?"

"I've seen death," he explained. The muscles in his neck rose up as every tendon in his body simultaneously tensed. "Before I was a Sternritter. It's an ugly thing."

"Even when it's someone you hate? Or an enemy?"

Sylvanus opened his eyes and stared off into space. "Especially then. We're ordered to kill, and we're good at it... But in spite of that, and maybe even because of that, you still need to respect the dead. The dying. And because we're not allowed to save the enemy, the most we can do is help our comrades."

"You're talking like a Doctor," Jamina said, a slight smile gripping the corner of her lips.

"I almost was," he said, his face stern and calm. "I trained in medicine before becoming a Sternritter."

Jamina did a double-take. "I never knew that."

"I don't tell many people," Sylvanus explained. "It's not really something you'd need to know."

"Really?" Jamina laughed. "I think you don't tell anyone because you're afraid it will damage that tough-guy persona you have." She smiled and pushed the stray lock of hair out of her face. "You're the first one to say that you're a fighter not a thinker, but I don't think that's true... You're very with it, you don't just rush into fights."

"Haha, is that a fact?" he laughed, finally dropping into somewhat of a lighthearted mood. "Very in-depth analysis you have there." He stopped leaning back and fell forwards, his elbows finding place on the table in front of him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had been watching me."

"I don't watch anyone," Jamina said, half-daydreaming as she looked up at the window.

"I beg to differ," Sylvanus chuckled, his grey eyes twisting in amusement.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, pouting.

"You watch Basilisk all the time. Don't think that people don't notice it. I see the way you blush when he talks to you."

"I do not!" cried Jamina, covering her face with her hands, to hide the fact that she had turned bright red.

Sylvanus sat and watched her fret. He smiled softly and ran his fingers back through his grey hair.

"Just... be careful," he suddenly said, squinting his eyes ever so slightly.

Breaking from her girlish fit, Jamina looked over towards her comrade and pulled a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"It's okay to look, but..." He scanned her face quickly. "Don't aim for anything more. He's more like a machine than a human."

"I know that," Jamina said, sighing. "If it came down to it, I know that Basilisk would only ever look out for himself. He wouldn't go out of his way to help anyone else. I think that's the difference between us and him..."

"I think that's the difference between us and most of the others," Sylvanus muttered.

In spite of claiming that himself and Jamina were different from the others, Sylvanus knew that there was another side to the young girl. A side that he very rarely saw, but was aware of all the same. Even in their conversation that they had just had, he noted that while he expressed compassion towards their enemies, the girl had not even batted an eyelid.

* * *

><p>Ichigo stood in the centre of a large white disk, his face contorted in confusion.<p>

"So explain to me again what's going on?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

"What does it look like?" the pompadour man replied, stopping mid-swing. Above his head he held a giant mallet. "I'm going to hit this pressure switch with the hammer and launch you through the sky."

"Yeah, I understand that... But why?"

"What do you mean, why? You're going to my Castle, the Kirinden. How else are you going to get there?" He prepared to swing again. "Now hold still. You move a muscle and you could wind up dead. This is delicate stuff."

"Why would I want to go to your Castle?!" Ichigo shouted. "I thought I was going to see the Soul King!"

"Whaaaat?" the tall man asked, stopping short yet again. "You really think an idiot like you is fit to meet the Soul King?!"

Just as the man was about to continue further on his rant, he was struck across the back of the head. Falling forwards, his face slammed into the ground and he let out a loud cry of pain.

"Explain it properly you idiot!" Kirio Hikifune shouted, as the man with the pompadour attempted to shakily lift his head from the floor.

Walking towards Ichigo, the rotund woman took the orange-haired youth tenderly by the stump of his left wrist. Leading him from the platform, she indicated the floating disks in the sky and began to explain.

"On those trays in the sky are the quarters of the members of the Royal Guard," Kirio said, her plump face never breaking from her smile. "Our individual Castles. And that object floating in the middle is the Greater Palace; where the Soul King resides. Where we are now is the Vestibule Road." She indicated Ichigo's injuries. "I would not do you well to meet His Majesty in that state. That is why you need to visit our Castles; so that we can properly fix you up."

"So you're sure you can do that?" Ichigo asked, his eyes lowering in a half-disheartened fashion and lingering on his missing hand.

"Well, there are limits," Kirio stated, patting his bandaged stump gently. "And while we may not be able to restore your hand, we can build you up and make you stronger."

Ichigo smiled weakly.

"Hey! You done over there?" the man with the pompadour shouted, having finally recovered from the strike. "We need to get this show on the road!"

"Okay, okay!" Ichigo called out, throwing his arms up in the air and walking back to the platform. "So where was I supposed to stand aga-?!"

The second Ichigo's feet touched the disk, pompadour man swung the mallet down and struck the pressure switch. The Substitue Soul Reaper was launched through the air, screaming as he went.

* * *

><p>Sternritter B, Nina Redwing, was walking the many roads and alleyways of the Silbern. Ice hanging from the lips of roofs dripped down onto the shoulders of her white cloak and a chilling wind bit at her skin.<p>

Her crimson hair was whipped around her face by the cold breeze. Deep brown eyes flicked over the walls surrounding her. Every so often she caught sight of a fly or an insect, the dark colours clashing with the white surroundings. They let her know what she was getting close.

She had been searching for it for weeks. Finally, she felt like she was growing close. Her persistence had paid off.

Nina hated not knowing things. Her natural curiosity never allowed her to just give up and leave something unknown. Mysteries attracted her, and her current endeavour was far from an exception.

Ever since she had heard about it, she had made it her mission to find it.

However, the fact that she only really talked to Adelaid (Sternritter X) had made things far more complicated than they needed to be. Had she enjoyed the company of her fellows more, Nina could have gleaned knowledge from them about the object of her obsession.

_No matter... _she thought to herself. Glancing down at the floor, she noticed a long line of _Ants...?_

Studying the small insects, a smile plucked the corner of Nina's mouth.

_They're all carrying things... Which means they must be heading back to their anthill, as opposed to leaving it. If that's the case, all I need to do now is follow them._

Ever since Nina realised that Kirmie never attended Sternritter meetings, she began to grow curious. Adelaid had told her that the individual usually sent bugs in his place; a strange statement that had, of course, added fuel to the growing fire of Nina's interest. It wasn't long before she decided to locate his living quarters to satiate her curiosity.

And now, she was almost there.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me," a voice suddenly said, echoing through the dimly lit alleyway. It had a strange tone to it; as if numerous people were speaking at once. In the background, an odd clicking sound perforated the silence.

Nina smiled every so slightly. "So you saw me coming?"

"I see everything," the voice said. "Why did you take it upon yourself to look for me?"

"I couldn't stand not knowing where you actually were, Kirmie," Nina said.

"Is that all?" the voice buzzed, the sound reverberating against the walls.

"That's all."

"So what are you going to do now that you've found me?"

"Nothing," Nina replied, folding her arms and leaning on the wall behind her. "I know where you are now. I've lost interest."

"You really are a strange one," the voice said.

"That coming from you?" asked Nina. Her brown eyes were focused on a small crack, running up the side of a wall, from where it connected to the ground. Into the fissure, numerous insects were pouring.

No words came in response to her question. Instead, a wet, gurgling sound met her ears. It appeared the owner of the voice was laughing.

Nina stopped leaning and turned away from the crack; heading back the way she'd come. Glancing over her shoulder, through her deep red hair, she smiled. "I hope I'll see you on the battlefield next time; instead of skulking in some corner somewhere. And if you don't fight, I'll make a point of finding you myself."

* * *

><p>Ichigo Kurosaki sat in the middle of a hot spring. The wet towel on his head clung to his skin as, in spite of the water, he was sweating. Steam rose up in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision. Hot water lapped around his shoulders.<p>

Beside the youth, the man with the pompadour lounged lazily.

Above him, pouring from the tops of rocks and numerous bamboo pipes, boiling water splashed into the spring. The sound of the water cascading down and the bamboo clacking against the rocks reverberated inside Ichigo's head. Over, and over, and over, and-

"Why is this so loud?!" Ichigo suddenly screamed. Leaping from the bath, onto the rocks, he pointed down at the Squad Zero member. "And more than that, why the fuck am I here?!"

"Shut up..." he groaned in response. "If you don't stop screaming your towel is going to fall off."

"I'm supposed to be preparing to meet the Soul King!" Ichigo shouted. "Why am I just sitting in a hot spring!?"

"You're too loud..." the man tutted. As he said this, a tuft of bright red hair bobbed up out of the water beside him. Noting it, he looked down and gripped it before pulling it out of the water, like a turnip from fresh earth. Renji's bandaged face emerged from the spring. "Huh..." pompadour muttered. "You weren't supposed to pop up like that."

Ichigo stared, dumbfounded, as Renji's head was forced beneath the water once again. "What are you doing?! Isn't it dangerous for him to be underwater like that?! And when did he even get here?!"

"If you haven't got anything meaningful to say, shut up..." the man muttered, continuing to hold down on Renji's head as bubbled floated to the surface of the water. "This is my super special, secret healing technique."

"How the hell does hot spring water heal people?!" Ichigo shouted, his face wound up through the sheer stress of having to deal with something so ridiculous.

"Weren't you Kisuke Urahara's pupil?" the man with the pompadour asked, standing up and folding his arms. He was revealed to be wearing a loincloth that left almost nothing to the imagination.

"I'm not his pu-!" Ichigo began, however he was soon cut off.

"Didn't you ever take a dip in the hot spring inside his and Yoruichi's playground?" He turned towards Ichigo and broke into a grin. "He was able to make that after analysing the properties of my special hot spring water."

Ichigo stared dumbfounded as he recalled a very similar situation after his fight with Kenpachi Zaraki.

"So just sit still. Wounds like yours won't even take a day to heal. If anything you'll be even healthier than you were before. Just leave it all in the good hands of Tenjirou Kirinji, the Demon of the Hot Springs."


	16. Killer's Not Dead

**Chapter 16: Killer's Not Dead**

Shunsui Kyoraku (Captian of Squad Eight) sat looking at the letter in his hands. The paper felt rough and brittle between his fingers. Ink rubbed off against his skin, staining it black.

He let out a low sigh of disappointment.

There was a knock at the door to his personal quarters, and his Lieutenant, Nanao Ise entered the room.

"Captain, if you're here then answer me!" she said, annoyed. Straightening her glasses, she suddenly realised that he was acting much more somber than usual. "What's wrong...?"

Still looking down at the letter, he read the message over and over.

**Shunsui Souzousuke Jirou Kyoraku,**

**As of today, you have been appointed as the Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen and the Captain of the First Division. You are to immediately report to the Central 46, for your instatement to the position.**

"Damn..." Kyoraku muttered under his breath. "I'm really not suited to all of this serious stuff..."

* * *

><p>Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) walked through the entrance to the Palace with his hands on his hips. His fluffy white and black hair flared behind him like whisps of flame. His poncho was billowing in the wind.<p>

Sat on the roof of a nearby building, Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) watched him walk.

Zeit returning to the Silbern was the talk of the Sternritter and Soldat alike. He had made a name for himself in Hueco Mundo after he had single-handedly defeated the current ruler, Tier Halibel.

Onmar pulled an expression of distaste. "And just like that, someone else who I can't stand arrives..."

As Zeit walked into the ice palace, he was greeted by Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C). Her deep red cloak was wrapped tightly around her body and her matching red lips were holding a subtle smile.

"It's been a long time since I've seen that face," she said, reaching out for Zeit's hand.

Clasping Lenora's palm, Zeit shook it without a word. His coal black eyes held her form and scanned her face. His young features broke into a smile.

The pair began to walk through the cavernous entrance hall, their footsteps echoing around the area. Breath hung in the air as thin clouds of smoke.

As Lenora explained the situation and the events of the previous invasion, Zeit listened intently. He didn't so much as bat an eyelid when his comrade informed him of Ferdinand and Mann's deaths.

Reaching the middle of the large room, the pair were attended to by a member of the Soldat. Carrying a tray laden with glasses and silver containers of alcohol, he poured the two Sternritter drinks before excusing himself.

Lenora raised her glass. "Cheers."

Zeit smiled and drank his own beverage.

"We'll be having a meeting of the Sternritter tonight," Lenora explained, watching her companion and smiling. "If you want to, you can just stay here. If not, I've prepared some living quarters for you."

The young man nodded his head in thanks and winked.

Lenora, in spite of her usually stern persona, felt her heart flutter. The boy always held an unusual power over her that she just couldn't place.

Zeit's black eyes watched her, a smile on his lips. Everything he could have possibly said came through in his eyes. He waved Lenora off and made his way into the corner of the entrance hall before sitting with his legs crossed.

* * *

><p>Shunsui Kyoraku stood in the middle of the Central 46's chamber. His usual hat was removed, as was his trademark flowery kimono. The face he was pulling was unusually serious.<p>

The various members of Central 46 present were all screaming with rage.

"Two Vice Captains?!" one of them shouted. "How ridiculous!"

"One Captain! One Lieutenant!" another screamed. "That is the way that we have always done things!"

"And how well has that been working out for you?" Kyoraku asked; his voice flat.

"You impudent-!"

"3rd Seat Okikiba of the First Division is exceptional at practical business," Kyoraku explained, sharply, cutting off the bureaucrat. "And Nanao Ise is my perfect partner. She will accompany me in the field. They are both perfect for the position."

"You cannot just do as you like!"

"Every Captain has the right to appoint and dismiss their own Lieutenant as they wish. You were the ones who decided this."

The Central 46 stewed in quiet outrage as the new Captain Commander spoke.

"Now can I continue?" Kyoraku asked, peering from the corner of his eye at the congregation. A smile plucked his lips. "Good. My first official movement as the Captain Commander... Is to teach Kenpachi Zaraki the way of the sword."

All of the gathered men immediately locked up. Sweat gripped their faces and their voices caught in their throats. Finally, one managed to speak up.

"A... Are you insane?!"

"Ichigo Kurosaki has departed for the Royal Palace, but there is no guarantee that he will return in time," Kyoraku explained. "We cannot rely on him for everything. We need a combative force capable of holding off the Quincy forces. Captain Zaraki's battle power is extremely important and at this current time, he is not strong enough."

"We absolutely cannot allow this!" one of the Central 46 screamed. "What if he becomes too powerful and starts a revolt?! Have you considered that?!"

"Who is going to keep him under control?!"

"Have you forgotten that Genryusai stopped his instruction after only one day?!"

"Then what do you propose we do?" Kyoraku asked, his face stoic and unmoving. "As it stands, we will not survive another attack. Do you think you'll be able to protect yourselves? Because if so, I would happily recruit you to the front lines."

The men collectively bit their tongues.

"That's what I thought," Kyoraku muttered. "I'm glad I've managed to gain your consent." He looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the room, before calling out. "You can come out now! I'll be leaving Captain Zaraki to you."

Stepping from the shadows, Captain Retsu Unohana revealed herself. Her expression was somber and threatening.

"His instruction will be at your discression," Kyoraku said, eyeing her. "Captain Unohana... No..." He corrected himself. "Yachiru Unohana. The first Kenpachi."

* * *

><p>Byakuya Kuchiki held the bamboo blade in a loose grip at arms length. Light glinted off of his shiny black hair and his deep eyes.<p>

In front of him, Rukia assumed a similar stance. Her face was calm and her breathing soft.

Striking out, they engaged in a rapid flurry of sword swings. Wood clashed against wood; their feet sliding across the tatami mats.

Rukia backed off ever so slightly, prompting Byakuya to spiral his training sword around hers and flick it up into the air. The disarmed girl threw her hands up into the air, in surrender. The tip of Byakuya's sword was pressed against her chest.

"Do you yield?" he asked, slowly.

"I do, Nii-Sama," Rukia said, inhaling quickly.

Byakuya lowered his training blade and turned away. Rukia stooped to retrieve her own, and soon the two had resumed their stance.

When her older brother had asked her to train with him, Rukia had tried to hide her elation. It was the most that she could do to hide her smile while they practiced. The fact that he had decided to rely on her for training filled her with an incredible sense of pride.

"Rukia..." Byakuya suddenly said, tightening his stance. "Do you believe that my skills have dulled?"

The girl did a double-take, unsure over how to answer the question. Stammering, she attempted a reply. "I- I don't believe so, Nii-Sama. But why would you ask such a thing?"

Byakuya said nothing for several seconds, his face stiff. "In the battle the other day, the Sternritter I fought... There was something about him. It seemed like no matter what I did, I couldn't even touch him." His grip tightened on the hilt of the bamboo blade. "Have I really grown so weak?"

"Nii-Sama..."

"So I need you to help me, Rukia," he said. His expression softened. "If you will have me. And in return, I will do my utmost to aid you in getting stronger."

His arm stopped trembling, the wounds up his biceps stopping just short of bursting open. His grip was so tight, he had cracked the handle of the sword.

Rukia's voice caught in her throat. She was on the brink of tears, however somehow managed to fight them off. "Of course, Nii-Sama," she finally managed to say, lifting her sword. "Again?"

Byakuya took a step forwards and adjusted his stance. "Again."

* * *

><p>Muuken.<p>

The lowest level of the central underground prison of the Seireitei. A vast and expansive plane of barren earth, located hundreds upon hundreds of feet beneath the Squad One barracks.

A horrible environment reserved only for the very worst of criminals.

Kenpachi Zaraki walked through the entrance; the heavy steel doors slamming behind him, closing off the darkness. His eyepatch was already removed and his sword was slung over his shoulder, the chipped blade reflecting a deformed visage of his face. His mouth was twisted into a psychotic grin.

"Ha," he laughed, looking around himself. "What a showy battlefield. How'd you manage to swing this?"

"It was an order from the new Head Captain," replied his opponent, softly. "It wasn't that difficult." An eerily calm chuckle filled the air. "As the name indicates, this area is entirely closed off. It's almost infinitely vast and barren. It's a perfect field for you to freely swing your sword."

Yachiru Unohana turned towards Kenpachi. Her eyes were hooded and filled with sadistic malice.

"That is the only reason we were permitted to enter here," she continued. "Usually such a pleasure is only reserved for the most heinous of criminals."

"Criminals, huh...?" Kenpachi grunted, beginning to walk forwards. "Then we should feel right at home... 'Cause if it wasn't for our strength, we would be nothing more than that!"

"Of course," Unohana said, her voice soft and chilling. "That is why I was the one who suggested this place."

"That's what I figured," Kenpachi said, grinning. Removing his sword from his shoulder, he held it at arms length. He glanced around at the Muuken one final time. "I like it. I win and I'm a Captain; I lose and I'm a criminal. Either way... Fighting you is going to be like my own little piece of heaven and hell."

"You're awfully talkative today," Unohana replied, smiling sweetly. "I prefer it when you're quiet." Untying the braid that adorned the front of her body, the Captain of Division Four allowed her hair to swi freely, revealing a horrific stab wound in the centre of her chest. "Whenever you talk, it makes this old wound sting."

Kenpachi reached up and stroked the scar running down the left side of his face, grinning wildly. "Don't think that you're the only one with an old wound aching."

Both of them smiled and lunged at each other.

Their blades clashed in a blaze of sparks. Metal grated against metal as they ground their swords against one-another. Beneath their feet, rock cracked from the force of the strikes.

Kenpachi forced his own sword forwards. Unohana's feet tore deep trenches through the ground as she held her tight defence. The towering brute of a man continued his advance, almost running as he pushed her backwards.

Suddenly flicking her own sword to the side, Unohana ducked under Kenpachi's blade. Slashing out, metal bit through the battle-crazed man's side. Blood spattered to the floor.

Kenpachi attempted another downward swing. Unohana's left hand came up to meet the swipe, slapping the wrist of his sword arm away. Turning to the side, she swung her sword sideways, aiming at his throat.

He barely dodged. Crimson blood jetted through the air, tracing the arc of Unohaha's sword swing. He had been knicked along the edge of his neck. It wasn't a deep wound, but the location of the cut meant profuse bleeding was certain.

Kenpachi Zaraki was being beaten back. He hadn't so much as scratched the woman, and yet she continued to persistently exploit every opening he presented, no matter how small.

It was exactly the kind of battle he had always searched out. Always strived for.

And yet...

_Why?_

Kenpachi gritted his teeth and leapt back, narrowly avoiding another strike to his face.

Something seemed missing.

_Why is this...?_

He struck back and found his blade blocked. Unohana forced him back and slashed him up his left side.

Kenpachi felt like a piece of himself was missing. Something he'd misplaced long ago that he finally realised was gone. A strange ache filled his chest.

_Why is this not...?_

He knew that without that missing piece, he would never be able to find it. The real thing that he had been searching for all of these years. He would never be able to find something-

_Fun...?_

_**[Author's Note: Not an awful lot on the Sternritter in this chapter, for which I apologise. This was more a chapter to keep the story moving and set the stage for the upcoming second invasion.**_

_**I hope that everyone is enjoying it all so far. Do you have a favourite Sternritter? If so, please feel free to review.]**_


	17. Countdown from Five

**Chapter 17: 五, 四, 三, 二枚屋 王悦**

"Ninety one, ninety two, ninety three!"

Tenjirou Kirinji, the Demon of the Hot Springs, held Ichigo under the water by the hair. Bubble spewed from his mouth and foamed atop the steaming liquid. His eyes were opened wide in horror.

Flinging Tenjirou off of him, with all of his might, Ichigo leapt out of the water and gasped down lungful after lungful of air. His chest heaved up and down as he breathed, and his eyes were bulbous.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he screamed at the Royal Guard member. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"What do you mean?!" Tenjirou shouted back. "Even a kid could do this shit! Didn't anybody ever tell you you had to get into the bath and count to one hundred?!"

"With my head above the water! What sort of parent would tell their kid to do that underwater?! Are you trying to drown me, or something?!"

"You're boring me," Tenjirou muttered, turning away and waving his hand dismissively. "Kazuo, Kazuhiro, hold him down for me."

Ichigo blinked; his expression blank. "What are you-?"

Before Ichigo could finish, two huge men appeared behind him and grasped him. Restraining him, they forced him back underneath the water as Tenjirou resumed counting.

"One! Two! Three!"

* * *

><p>"Ninety four, ninety five, ninety six, ninety seven, ninety eight..."<p>

Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) was sweating profusely. His face was red and his grey hair clung to the moisture dripping from his scalp. The muscles of his arms swelled and began to tremble.

Gritting his teeth, he continued with his rapid session of push-ups. Deep grey eyes were pinpointed as he focused on a point ahead of him.

Sylvanus always made a point of keeping his body in shape. Disciplined was an understatement. The amount of time he spent training was borderline insanity.

It helped keep him focused. It gave him something to concentrate on, and take his mind off of all of his worries.

He could only stand the company of his fellows for so long. Jamina may have been good conversation, and he had a lot of respect for her; but he generally needed space. More still, time to collect his thoughts.

Zeit had returned, and His Majesty was up to something. Sylvanus had the sinking feeling that the second invasion would not be like anything the Sternritter expected. He felt uneasy.

Attempting to banish the thoughts from his mind, Sylvanus continued on with his exercise regime. "One hundred thirteen, one hundred fourteen, one hundred fifteen..." Not once did he break pace.

Still, however, the thoughts continued to fill his head. He didn't trust Yhwach.

Not that he would ever say it. To speak out against His Majesty was something punishable by death.

_Shit, even doing what he says will get you killed, if you outlive your usefulness..._ he thought, gritting his teeth even tighter.

"One hundred thirty six, one hundred thirty seven..."

Over and over he pushed himself up from the floor. After he reached one hundred and fifty, he began to push harder, causing his hands to leave the floor. In between every push-up, he clapped his hands.

The sweat began to pour from his pores, leaving rivulets of moisture running down his toned and muscular body. His breathing grew ragged.

"One hundred seventy six, one hundred seventy seven, one hundred seventy eight..."

* * *

><p>Ichigo continued to fight against the restraints of Kazuo and Kazuhiro. Water sloshed around his flailing limbs and splashed through the air.<p>

"That's enough!" Tenjirou called out, as the two men released the struggling boy. Wading through the water of the hot spring, liquid lapped at the loincloth that he wore.

Ichigo rose from the bath, steam billowing from his bandaged body. His breathing was fast and his eyes bore into the pompadoured man. "What do you think you're-?"

Tenjirou struck out so fast that he momentarily disappeared. Punching Ichigo in the centre of his chest, he sent the Substitute Soul Reaper flying; skipping across the water like a stone. Slamming into a distant rock, stone crumbled around his body and fell upon him.

Flinging the rubble off of his body, Ichigo began to rage at the Zero Division member. "Why did you hit me, you idiot?!"

"You're healed," Tenjirou said, ignoring him. Throwing down some of Ichigo's soaking bandages, he pointed at Ichigo's chest. "If you weren't healed, my punch would have killed you."

Ichigo looked down at his chest, the torn bandages leaving it exposed. There wasn't so much as a scratch on him. Hurriedly unwrapping the bandage around his severed wrist, he noted that the wound had completely closed up. More than that, it ws smooth, as if he had been born with it.

"You're done here," Tenjirou continued. "We can skip the formalities and you can make your way to the next Castle."

Ichigo paused for a second, in confusion. However, before he was able to ask what the man had meant by the "next Castle", he was cut off by a brash voice shouting over at them.

"Hey! Don't think you can leave me behind!"

Renji stood in the middle of a hot spring next to the one in which Ichigo and Tenjirou had previously occupied. The entire top half of his body had been bandaged, leaving only his hands and face exposed. His crimson hair clung to his soaking body and bandages.

"Renji? But you're still wounded!" Ichigo called back to him.

Before Renji could respond to Ichigo, Tenjirou vanished. Appearing in front of the Lieutenant, he punched him in the gut. Water flew into the air and cascaded down in a great wave.

Tenjirou opened his eyes wide in surprise. Renji still stood in front of him, grinning.

"How 'bout that," he chuckled. "I wasn't even sent flying."

Glancing down, Tenjirou noted Renji's fist trembling. He appeared as if he was going to protest to him leaving.

"Fine," he sighed. "If you can withstand my punch I'm not in a position to stop you." He began to walk towards the edge of the hot springs and beckoned them to follow him. "Come with me, I'll get you on your way to Kirio's place."

"So how are we going to get there?" Ichigo asked, stopping just behind where Tenjirou had. As they walked, he and Renji pulled on their discarded Shihakushos.

Kazuo and Kazuhiro swung a pair of giant mallets down onto a pressure switch. Flung through the air, Ichigo and Renji were launched from a pair of hidden platforms.

"Is this the only way you get around, here?!" Ichigo screamed as he tumbled through the sky, before disappearing into a spec.

Turning back towards the springs, Tenjirou knelt down and dipped his right hand into the steaming water. "Kazuo, Kazuhiro... You can take off you're wet clothes now."

The two hulking men let out identical sighs of relief. Discarding their clothes, they were revealed to be sporting painful-looking growths and burns across almost the entirety of their bodies.

"Thank God for that..." Kazuo muttered, pushing up his glasses. "Any longer and the wounds would be permanent."

Kazuhiro hummed in response. "To think that those two were able to stay submerged in the water for so long... And without protective clothing at that."

"Yeah, they really are something..." Tenjirou said, examining his hand under the water. "Especially Ichigo Kurosaki." He squinted his eyes as he noticed the appendage beginning to turn red and swell. "I was always known as Flash-Speed Tenjirou, because of how fast I was... Yet in the instant I hit him, he struck back with his severed wrist. He managed to break every bone in my hand."

Kazuo took a deep breath in surprise.

"I can see why the Soul King is so interested in him..."

* * *

><p>Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) was lounging on the bed, located in the corner of his living quarters. Discarded to the table beside the bed, his skull mask stared back at him, through empty sockets.<p>

His forearm was laying over his face, shrouding his eyes and forehead in shadow. Spreading out from the back of his head, across the pillow, his long black hair reflected the light in a white glare.

Hanging from his forearm, his Quincy cross swung through the air.

Eric was thinking about his mother. About how she used to teach him how to play chess. Oddly enough, he remembered her long and slender fingers. How her milky skin would gently grip the wooden pieces.

_Now the knight can move three places. Two in a straight line and then one to either side. Do you want to count them with me, Eric? One, two, and three..._

He remembered the way she used to smile, every time he got it right.

* * *

><p>"What are you trying to pull?!"<p>

"What does it look like?! Get you on the bottom! I don't want to land first and hurt myself!"

"Too bad! I was injured worst, you should be on the bottom and take the hit!"

Ichigo and Renji, in their arguing, failed to notice the fast-approaching platform beneath them. While in the process of switchi falling positions, they both collided with the stone structure together; side by side.

Crumpled in a heap, the pair let out similarly pained whimpers. "Owwww..."

Unsteadily rising to their feet, they touched their bruised bodies gingerly. They were trembling. After falling from such a great height, any normal person would have been killed. It was lucky that they were so sturdy.

They hadn't even stood up straight when they were suddenly scooped up into a crushing embrace. All air was squeezed out of their lungs.

"Welcome to the Gaton Palace!" Kirio Hikifune cried, swinging them around. "Ichigo-chan! Renji-chan!" Her rotund cheeks were swelling as she smiled; the spiral markings on them distorting. Dropping the boys to the floor, she placed her hands on her hips and beamed down at them. "Please follow me to the dining hall!"

Looking up at the purple-haired woman, Ichigo and Renji stopped short, right as they were about to shout. Their mouth's began to water and their stomachs growled. "F... Food?" they asked, simultaneously.

"Of course!" she cried, scooping them up again and practically dragging them towards a large building ahead of them.

Slapping them down at the head of a long table, she set down their chopsticks and hurried off into another room. Furious and frantic sounds of cooking blared from the room and filled Ichigo and Renji's ears.

Before long the table was filled with mountains of food. Piles of rice rose up from plates; enormous bowls were filled to the brim with ramen and miso soup alike. Barbecue platters sizzled and great towers of meat reached up towards the ceiling.

Calling out from the kitchen, Kirio's voice held a musical tone to it. "Gaton Palace is the kingdom of food! It is my job to feed you and your job to fill our bellies! So enjoy! Eat all you like; and I shall cook all you want!"

The duo didn't need to be told twice. Diving upon the dishes, they began to wolf down plateful after plateful of food. Rice was shovelled into their mouths, meat was torn from the bone and noodles were slurped down into their stomachs whole.

"This is so good!" Ichigo shouted, his mouth still full of food. "My chopsticks won't stop!" Due to not being able to lift the bowls because of his missing hand, Ichigo was a sight to behold. He had hooked his severed arm around the backs of the bowls and placed his chin onto the table, tipping the contents of them into his mouth.

"So delectable, so soft!" Renji shouted. "It melts in the mouth! This is truly the most palatable food in the universe!"

Ichigo glanced over at his friend and pulled a disgusted face over his bowl of rice. "Quit it with the fake food review; we all know you have no idea what you're talking about..."

Once the table was cleared, Ichigo put down his chopsticks.

Renji glanced over at him and lifted one tattooed on eyebrow. "What, you're finished already? I can keep eating." He spoke as if he were gloating.

"Of course I can keep eating," Ichigo retorted. "But there's no more food to eat, you idiot."

While they waited for Kirio to bring more food out, Ichigo stared off into space. His eyes began to glaze over. He ran his hand over the smooth skin of his left wrist.

"Is it... really okay for us to be doing this?" he suddenly asked, flicking his brown eyes over to look at Renji. "Down in the Seireitei, everyone is trying to rebuild... They're training and preparing and getting stronger. But... We're relaxing; taking baths and eating food..." He gritted his teeth and knitted his brows together. "Are we really going to be getting stronger, by doing this?"

Renji pulled a blank expression. "What, are you stupid or something?"

"What did you say to me?!" Ichigo leapt up and grabbed Renji around the scruff of the neck.

Renji removed Ichigo's hand from him. "When you're wounded you take a bath to heal. And when you're healing, you need to eat to keep your strength up." His eyes narrowed. "It's natural. If you jump straight into training without doing any of this, you're just going to hurt yourself. In order to train hard, you need to be in perfect shape; otherwise what's the point?"

Ichigo blinked. He broke into a slight smile. "You know..." Glancing sidelong at his friend, he patten him on the shoulder. "You actually say some pretty smart things sometimes."

At first, Renji took what Ichigo had said as a compliment. However, he soon realised the implication that he was usually less than intelligent.

"Hey, what are you trying to-?!"

He was cut off as Kirio bowled back into the room. Her arms were laden with trays and bowls and her purple hair had been let down, bunching around her shoulders.

Ichigo and Renji almost fell off of their chairs in surprise. It wasn't due her sudden appearance, however, but rather her appearance.

Previously, she had been so fat and round that her body had a radius. Now, however, she was slim. Her waist pinched in beneath her large breasts and he hips flared out softly, giving her an hourglass figure. Her face, no longer distorted by flab, was trim with his cheekbones and full lips.

Renji felt the beginnings of a nosebleed.

"You've actually completely understood the theory, Renji-chan!" she beamed, laying the food down on the table before picking Renji up and crushing him into her breast. He broke into a slightly bemused look. "We're doing exactly what you would normally do during training, but on a much grander scale." She dropped the red-haired young man to the floor. "All so that you won't die during your time at the next Castle. Now please: Eat as much as you want!"

Ichigo ignored the food, instead choosing to throw a fit. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Oh, I see I forgot to tell you," Kirio chuckled, holding her hand up in front of her mouth. "When I cook, I use up all of my body's energy. So I need to put on as much weight as possible before, or else I could die!"

Sat in a state of stupor, Ichigo attempted to wrap his head around it all.

"Now eat," she beamed, her eyes brimming with pride. "I put everything into preparing this meal. It's my pride and joy! This food holds the very essence of why I became a member of the Royal Guard!"

"And what is that?" Renji asked, unsteadily claiming back into his chair and attempting to look casual. Blood was still dripping from his nose, and he was blushing.

"The artificial soul," Kirio replied, smiling broadly. "In the Royal Guard, each of us were appointed to the Division because we created something of great importance to the history if the Soul Society. My invention was the artificial soul, and from it birthed the gikongan, and the kaizokonpaku." He picked up a bread roll and turned it over in her hands. "They work through the essence of inserting foreign souls into others. I've done the same with this food; inserted foreign Reiatsu into them to give you the boost that you need." She continued to smile. "If you take the time to notice, you'll realise you're made up of entirely different Reiatsu to what you had before."

Ichigo and Renji suddenly noticed the change within themselves. They could feel power welling up inside their bodies.

"You're going to need it, for when you arrive at the next Castle..." Kirio suddenly said, somber. "Even I'm not sure what he's going to do... Ohetsu Nimaya of the Houou Palace... The man who created the Zanpakuto."

* * *

><p>Aya Herz (Sternritter S) walked through the snow that blanketed the ground. Beneath the steel heels of her shoes, the snow crunched. All around her body, a storm blew through the street.<p>

Above her head, an umbrella was held. Knight followed behind the young girl, shielding her from the weather.

His voice echoed from his white helmet. Behind him, the plume that adorned the top of it billowed in the wind. "My lady. Whither away so hurriedly? His Majesty doesn't wish us to gather for another hour."

"I want to get there early," Aya said, pushing her glossy black hair behind her ear. "To get a good spot... That way I won't be stuck next to Onmar."

"I implore you, My Lady," Knight said. "Do not speak so ill of Master Gunther. It does not befit a lady such as yourself."

"You're always making sure I'm ladylike," Aya said, smiled. "You're so chivalrous."

"Well, what is a knight, if not chivalrous?" he asked, a proud tone to his voice.

They continued to walk in silence for several minutes. All around them, the snow continued to flutter to the floor.

"What do you think His Majesty wants?" Aya asked her escort, looking up at him and pulling a perplexed expression.

"I do not think it's wise to speculate," Knight replied. "We shall find out in due course. I believe His Majesty must have a good reason to call us all to assemble."

"I hate not knowing what's going on." The young girl began to pout and folded her arms across her chest.

"My dear Miss Herz," the towering man said. "You must calm yourself. Its unbecoming to get angry over such a trivial matter. Here's a trick... Count backwards from five."

* * *

><p>Ichigo and Renji were, again, falling through the sky. Tumbling and fighting with each other, they had been screaming ever since they had been launched from Kirio's dining hall.<p>

They landed with a crash, however they remained in better condition than they had done before. Rising to their feet, they stared around the wooden platform on which they had arrived.

There was no-one in sight.

"Where is everyone?" Ichigo asked, looking around himself.

"Not a clue," Renji muttered in response. "Maybe everyone is inside the castle..."

**"Yo! Yo! Yo! Yo!"** suddenly blared a voice, enthusiastically, from some kind of sound system.** "Welcome, welcome, one and all! Welcome to the Houou-den! The magnificent abode ooooooof~! Go, Shi, San, Ni-maya! Ohetsu!"**


	18. Bite the Blade

**Chapter 18: Bite the Blade**

**"Go, Shi, San, Ni-maya Ohetsu is in the houuuuse~!"**

Floodlights flashed on, momentarily blinding Ichigo and Renji. Music began to blare from numerous speakers. Fireworks shot into the air and exploded into sparks of rainbow colours. Smoke poured from generators and flooded the area.

Rising from a mechanical platform, was a man. His skin was tanned and his head was adorned with a black afro. The sides of his scalp were shaved short and dyed green. Perched on his face were a pair of blue and gold sunglasses. In his hand he held a microphone.

**"I am number one Zanpakuto creator! Is so coooool! Sonofabitch!"** He spoke in English, and his accent was terrible.

Ichigo's face once more fell into the expression of complete and utter dismay that it had become so used to, during his time in the Royal Palace. Beside him, Renji pulled a similar expression.

The man continued to fling himself around ostentatiously, and shout in English. **"Nice! To! Meet you!"** He held two fingers up to his lips and blew a kiss. **"Zanpakuto!"** He winked. **"Love it!"**

* * *

><p>Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) was stood in the corner of the meeting hall. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed.<p>

During his time in the Silbern, Joseph had developed a very odd habit of falling asleep in strange locations. They had ranged from leaning against walls, to benches and even on street corners. Rare was the day when one of the Soldat actually found him inside of his own living quarters.

A group of his fellows had been watching him sleep in his current position for quite some time.

"I don't know how he does it," Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) muttered, almost to herself, as she watched him. Her young features pulled a perplexed expression; her bright pink eyes half-closed.

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) sat on the steps beside her and lifted his top lip in disgust. "I can't even sleep in my room because of the cold, and he can just drop off anywhere he wants. It's not fair."

"Maybe it's a form of narcolepsy, or something?" Jamina theorised, still not taking her eyes off of Joseph.

"Who cares?" Onmar muttered, turning away and folding him arms.

"Oh stop complaining," Jamina laughed. "Tomoko made it so you can't get cold anymore, and I even gave you an injection to keep you warm. You have nothing to complain about."

"I can complain about whatever I want," Onmar retorted.

"You keep that up, you're not going to have any friends left," she teased, pinching his cheek.

"Good," he said, bluntly. He ignored her fingers gripping his cheek. "I didn't want friends in the first place."

"You're lying," Jamina replied, releasing him. The skin of his cheek began to turn red where she had gripped him. "You act like you don't like us, but you'll miss us if we were gone."

"Well, some of you..." he muttered in reply, readjusting his folded arms.

"Okay, then how about this," Jamina said, placing her hands on her hips. "Why don't you talk it through? Actually talk to the ones you have the most problems with and actually deal with it."

"Not going to happen."

"Come on, don't be like that."

"No, I mean it literally won't happen," Onmar persisted. "The one who I have the most problems with is never here. Besides, it's not as if I could solve my issues with him by talking it out."

Jamina lowered her eyebrows over her bright red eyes. "You mean, Kirmie...?"

"Yeah." Onmar's lime green eyes narrowed discerningly. "I don't hate him because of a disagreement. It's a matter of nature. I hate everything that he stands for..." He eyed an ant, crawling across the floor. "Plus... He's disgusting. Vile. I can't change the fact that I can't stand looking at him."

"What does he look like?" Jamina asked, intrigued. The mysteries surrounding Kirmie had always intrigued her; however not to such a degree that she would go out of her way to find out more. "You're one of the few Sternritter that have actually seen him in person."

"Ask Joseph," Onmar grunted, nodding at the man asleep in the corner. "He's seen him as well." He broke into a slight grin. "Unless you're too scared to talk to him."

Jamina blushed and pursed her lips, defiantly. "I'm not afraid of him."

"Everyone else seems to be..." he said, returning his attention to Joseph. "Before the last invasion, I was talking to Ferdinand and Legion about him... Even they seemed wary of him."

"Maybe he's just misunderstood..." replied Jamina, sighing. "It must be lonely."

Watching the man napping off to the side for several seconds, Jamina appeared to make up her mind. Setting off down the stairs on which he stood, to talk to Jospeh, she waved back to her comrade.

"I'll be back soon," she smiled. "I'm going to talk to him."

Onmar tucked in his bottom lip. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, his features softened. For a brief instant, he appeared to care for his comrade. "Be careful."

Jamina chuckled and turned back at him, walking down the stairs backwards. "Don't worry about me!" She lifted her arm and jokingly flexed her bicep. "I'm always caref-"

The pink-haired girl slipped and fell down the stairs, backwards. She let out a comical shriek and collapsed into a heap on the floor. Gingerly rising to her feet, she touched her back and felt the bruise.

"I'm okay!" she cried out, cheerfully, waving up at Onmar.

Onmar only sighed and smirked to himself.

Jamina slowly walked towards Joseph and dusted herself off. Strangely enough, she found herself quite nervous. She had never spoken to him before and, as such, did not know what to expect. Whenever he had arisen as a topic of conversation within her fellows, everyone often referred to him as a sadist. Jamina loved to fight, but that word implied fundamental difference between them. It suggested that he enjoyed watching pain and suffering.

_Do I really want to talk to a person like that...?_

Soon, however, she was too close to turn back.

Sleeping as he was, Joseph looked strangely peaceful. His tussled black hair hung down over his face and his glasses had slipped down his nose.

Reaching out to touch him, Jamina just about stopped herself; instead deciding simply to try and awaken him through words. "Um, Mr Fehler?"

Joseph shifted and sleepily opened one emerald green eye. Through his half-rim glasses, he scanned Jamina groggily. Unfolding his arms he stood up straight and yawned briefly. "Good morning- um..." He stopped short when he realised that he didn't know the girl's name.

"Oh! Jamina!" she said, catching the hint.

"Pleased to meet you," Joseph said, reaching out and gently taking her hand. His grip was firm, but soft. "I'm sorry, I wasn't familiar. I'm not used to many of the others talking to me." He released her hand and leaned in, raising one hand to the side of his face. "Between me and you, I think that people are avoiding me."

He was not what Jamina had expected him to be like. He was pleasant, and his charm was slightly disarming.

"So, how can I help you, Jamina?"

"Um... I was just wondering..." She blushed, suddenly realising how silly her reason for talking to him was. "Dont you ever get lonely? I mean... Not many people talk to you."

Joseph chuckled. "That's sweet of you." He patted her on the head, however suddenly caught himself and stopped. "I'm sorry, that was rude to do that."

"No, it's okay," Jamina said, smiling. He put her at ease through his mannerisms and soft tone.

"But, to answer your question..." Joseph said. "I think people avoid me because they're afraid of me."

Jamina lowered her brows in a sympathetic expression.

"I'm a member of the elites, not to mention my ability is very dangerous," he explained. "And it doesn't help that I don't kill my opponents. It doesn't do much for my image; it makes the others think I'm a sadist."

"What...?" Jamina asked, confused.

"By your reaction, I can see you've heard that as well." The man broke into a grin. "But don't worry... I'm not actually like that. That's just something people say... Idle gossip and all that."

"Then... Why don't you kill your enemies? I've heard that you cripple them and drag out your fights."

"That's true," Joseph said, in a matter-of-fact manner. "I don't fight to kill... But I don't intentionally cripple. I like watching how people deal with my abilities, so I drag out fights for longer than I should."

Jamina lifted one eyebrow. She had never heard anything like that before.

_Joseph Fehler... Is a strange man..._

* * *

><p>The bright neon sign threw coloured light down upon the ground. Flashing lights around it banished shadows at periodic intervals.<p>

"Welcome to the Phoenix Palace!"

A harem of girls so huge that it defied reason welcomed the trio of men. Blondes, brunettes, red-heads and girls with black hair all fell upon them. Busts of all sizes were shoved into their faces.

"Kyaaah! You must be Renji-Kun!"

"Oh my, you're so attractive!"

"Which one is Ichigo-Kun, again?"

Renji felt himself begin to tear up. Ichigo recoiled; his shyness around scantily-clad women showing through.

"So, how'd ya' like it here?" Ohetsu Nimaya asked, turning towards the two young men. "Ya'll appreciating the welcome I've prepared for ya' here at the Houou-den?"

He raised his hand into the air for a high-five. When Ichigo failed to respond, choosing instead to stare at him blankly, Nimaya grasped his remaining hand and engaged in a furious series of slaps and fist-bumps with it.

Ichigo stepped back and whispered to Renji. "Youve got to switch with me. I can't handle all this; he's too crazy."

"Do you not like it?" Nimaya asked, tilting his head to the side. "If not... I can just send you home?"

Ichigo and Renji suddenly locked up. Kirio had warned them that Nimaya was unpredictable, but threatening to throw the, from the Royal Palace already was ridiculous.

The pair suddenly bowed, apologising simultaneously. "Thank you for inviting us here!"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Nimaya shouted, wagging his finger at them. "You're not doing it properly! The style of the Houou-den is..." He leaned down on his forearms and swung his legs up into the air, in a kind of quasi-handstand. "This! And then you say: Thank you, Master Nimaya!"

Ichigo and Renji, again, looked completely dumbfounded. Ichigo recoiled and hissed to his comrade: "No way I'm doing that...!"

"Do you want to be sent home?" Renji whispered back. "Suck it up and do it, or you may never get your Zanpakuto fixed."

Ichigo took a deep breath.

The pair both assumed the same ridiculous pose. "Thank you, Master Nimaya!"

Ohetsu Nimaya pulled out a camera and snapped a picture of the duo. "Nice! I didn't think you would actually do that!" He whirled around to the congregation of girls. "Look at this, my honey-chan's!"

"Haha so cuuuute!"

"That's so lol!"

Another of them squealed in delight.

The two Shinigami's moods darkened. Ichigo grabbed Nimaya by the collar of the puffy white coat that he wore. "What do you think you're playing at?!"

As Nimaya was about to reply, he was kicked in the back and sent flying through the air. Behind where the Royal Guard member had previously stood was a short young woman with spiky hair.

"How long do you plan on keeping this up?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and admonishing Nimaya.

"Come ooooon Mera-chaaaan!" Nimaya whined, lifting himself from the floor and rubbing his head. "This is the first time I've been able to have fun in ages!"

Ignoring his protests, the girl walked forwards and grasped Ichigo and Renji by the backs of their shihakusho. Dragging them from the harem, she groaned under her breath. "With you handling things, we'll never get anything done. I'll show you two the real Houou-den..."

Before long, they had left the glowing ball of neon behind. Where they now found themselves was a bare and barren cliff; a single shack standing solitary on it's edge. Above the shack was a sign that read "Houou-den".

Ichigo threw a glance at Nimaya, who had been following them dejectedly. "That's just depressing."

"Ya'll don't have to rub it in..." Nimaya pouted, pretending to weep behind his sunglasses and shielding his face with his forearm. "That's why I act all flash. To cover the fact that this is my real Castle."

Mera nodded towards the door and placed her hands on her hips. "Go ahead... Step inside the real Phoenix Palace."

Hesitantly stepping forwards, with Renji at his side, Ichigo stepped through the door into the darkness within the shack. His foremost foot found nothing beneath it. Tumbling through the empty air, the pair landed in a basement beneath the Castle.

"What the hell?!" Ichigo shouted up, anger venting towards Nimaya and Mera.

Nimaya ignored them. "Ichigo-chan, Renji-chan... Why is it that ya'll haven't noticed? Till now, ya' haven't met a single Shinigami, 'sides myself?" He broke into a wide grin. "Those honey-chans back there... Were Zanpakuto."

"Those were... Zanpakutos..." Ichigo gasped.

"Ya'll call ya'self Soul Reapers, but ya' can't even tell the difference between them and Zanpakuto?" He reached behind himself and grasped the hilts of two blades. Lifting them into the light, he was revealed to be holding Renji's Zabimaru and Ichigo's shattered Bankai. "Ya' got not love for them man! So if ya' don't love them... S'okay if I do this, right?"

Without a second thought, the Royal Guard member smashed the two broken blades together, shattering them even more. Ichigo and Renji's eyes snapped open wide and they cried out in horror and dismay.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Are you insane?!"

"Tut'a'tut'a'tut!" Nimaya tutted musically. "Zanpakuto that ain't loved sure break easy... If ya' survive down there, I may reforge ya' swords... But my Zanpakuto ain't for weaklings. And down there, the wrath of the Zanpakuto are all around ya'." He winked and blew a kiss down at the pair. "Have fuuuuuun~!"


	19. The Battle

**Chapter 19: The Battle**

Yachiru Kusajishi (Lieutenant of Squad Eleven) walked into her living quarters slowly. Resting on a cushion, in the middle of the room, was an eyepatch. The one that Kenpachi had always worn.

Sitting cross-legged in front of the cushion, her pink eyes lingered on it.

She was not acting like her usually carefree and cheerful self. There was something somber about the look in her eyes.

Reaching out and touching the leather patch, she closed her eyes.

"Kenny..."

* * *

><p>Kenpachi Zaraki lunged forwards and took a swing with his chipped and rusted sword. The strike was blocked as Unohana raised her own blade and swatted it aside, before gashing him up the torso.<p>

They had long since forgotten how long they had been fighting. Hours; days; weeks? They couldn't even remember. All that mattered was survival.

As Kenpachi fell backwards, he swung his blade up at the woman. Feeling an unusual pressure on his wrist, he realised that she was forcing his sword arm back down, by stepping on it.

Before she could complete her downward stroke at his head, however, Kenpachi managed to kick her in the gut. She was sent flying, long black hair whipping around her. Turning herself in midair, she landed feet first against a nearby boulder and launched herself back at Kenpachi.

Their blades clashed in a flurry of sparks.

"I commend you for having the good sense to remove your eyepatch before we began," Unohana said, pushing against his blade with her own. "But that also means... That I can see the extent of your power."

Removing her left hand from her sword, she pulled out a short blade and stabbed him above his right collarbone.

Kenpachi retreated.

"Pathetic..." Unohana whispered, half to herself. "You use one hand on the hilt of your sword, yet the other sits idly? Can you really enjoy fighting like that?"

"You're calling me pathetic?" he retorted, reaching up and dislodging the blade from his flesh. "You're the one resorting to underhanded tactics to win." He gritted his teeth. "You're nothing like the person I admired so long ago!"

The response touched a nerve with Unohana. Her face ticked. "One does not admit to admiring an enemy! Especially in the middle of a fight to the death!"

She lurched forwards at high speed. It was so fast that Kenpachi didn't even have time to react. His sword was knocked from his hand and landed on the ground.

He backed up, attempting to gain distance, and instead found a boulder at his back. The tip of the woman's sword was pressed against his neck.

"I haven't changed," Unohana said, twisting the blade. "It's just that the first time me fought... You were so strong that I didn't have time to use any tactics on you."

"So... You're saying that... I've gotten weaker...?"

Unohana said nothing; her face unmoving.

Kenpachi's bottom lip began to tremble. "I worshipped you... Trees, insects, people, no matter what I cut it was all the same. It was like I was alone in the dark... But fighting you... It was the first time I'd ever felt fear... Felt excitement... Felt anything at all. It was the first time I had ever enjoyed a fight. From that moment, I wanted to fight, just as you had." His eyes grew red and before he knew it, tears were dripping down his bloodied cheeks. "But now here I am... About to die a miserable death, without even having scratched you."

The sword pierced his throat with so much force it threw his head back. The top of the blade emerged from the back of his neck. Blood slipped from his lips.

Kenpachi could feel his own heartbeat slow.

Darkness took him.

He felt a sword in his hands, grinding against metal. He instinctively pushed back, and opened his eyes. In front of him, Unohana leapt backwards.

"Something the matter?" she asked; emotionless. "You appear to have lost consciousness for a moment."

Kenpachi blinked and felt for his throat. There was no stab wound, not blood.

_What was that, just now...?_

He leapt forwards and swung his sword at Unohana.

_No..._

She clashed blades with him, and the pair engaged in a flurry of strokes. Over and over metal met metal and sparks shot through the air.

_This isn't the time to be using my brain!_

He flicked his arm out to the side, causing her sword to be deflected wide. Kicking out, he planted his foot in her gut and flung Unohana through the air.

_This is the time for instinct!_

* * *

><p>Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) pushed his hand back through his long white hair and sniffed the air. The slit pupils of his bright silver eyes narrowed.<p>

He could smell unease.

Nervous sweat clung to almost everyone gathered in the meeting hall. The only members of the Sternritter gathered who weren't sweating were Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M), who maintained an air of polite restraint; Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O), holding his usual calm demeanour; Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) who, like always, was almost robotic; and of course Asuma himself. Knight, hidden behind his helm, remained a mystery.

Even Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C), arrogant as she was, held an air of unease.

Not a single member of the congregation had an inkling as to what it was the Yhwach wanted from them. All they knew was that they had been ordered to gather.

The reason for the meeting meant nothing to Asuma. His loyalty to His Majesty was all that mattered to him. If it was an order, he would be sure to follow it to his last breath.

His tongue ran over his pronounced canine, and his hands found his pockets.

The gathered Sternritter shifted nervously and continued to wait.

* * *

><p>Ichigo leapt to the side and avoided an attack from an unseen enemy. Diving through the darkness, he shouted up at Nimaya. "What the hell are you talking about?!"<p>

"Ya' shouldn't be scared of them..." Nimaya chuckled. "Ya' should know them very well. They're the strongest Zanpakuto, with unlimited potential."

One of the shapeless masses moved into the light. It was a featureless white creature; moving fluidly.

"They're Asauchi..."

Leaping from the depths of shadow, the formless figures fell upon Ichigo and Renji. Desperately fighting them off, they didn't even register Nimaya talking above them.

"The entire Gotei Thirteen, over six thousand members, are all given one of my Asauchi. They keep them with them at all times and project their essence into them, ya dig? By doing that they make their own Zanpakuto. I make all the Asauchi. That's why I'm the Sword God, yo!"

"Why are we being attacked by these things?!" Ichigo shouted desperately dodging.

"Why?" Nimaya laughed, pointing down at the orange-haired substitute Soul Reaper. "Cos they're angry with ya'!"

"Why are they angry with me?!"

Nimaya held his finger up in front of his face. "Cos of the way ya' use your Zanpakuto." He threw his arms up in the air. "Wrong! The way you hold it, the way you fight with it, the way you swing it! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! The basis is wrong!" He grasped his hair in mock distress. "You're using it as a tool? A subordinate; a buddy? Family, friend, senior, junior, pet, acquaintance, lover, a loved one?" He threw his hands up in the air once again. "Stop fucking around!"

Ichigo struggled to pay attention to him, as he avoided the attacks of the Asauchi. As he did so, however, he noticed a curious thing. Every single one of them, without exception, was crying.

"Now lets start this off with something fun..." Nimaya said, grinning. "Which one is on top? The Shinigami or the Zanpakuto?"

* * *

><p><em>Again...?<em>

Kenpachi rolled across the floor, tearing the skin off of the back of his arm. Righting himself, he raised his head and his sword in one simultaneous motion.

_I lost consciousness again? How many times has it been now?_

He slashed out at Unohana, prompting her to back off.

_Again and again. I pass out in the middle of battle, and when I come to I'm back swinging my sword..._

Unohana charged him. Steel grated together as she flicked her wrist out and knicked Kenpachi across the arm. His reaction time was getting progressively faster.

_It's nostalgic... I love fighting, but I've never been so into it that I've passed out..._

He stared into Unohana's eyes as they clashed. A subtle smile plucked the corner of his lips.

_Not since the first time I fought you._

Kenpachi tilted his blade sideways, sending Unohana's sword wide once again. Reversing his swing, he cut her across the arm. Red blood soaked into her white Captain's Haori.

_I got her! Before I was reacting to what I could see... But now I'm reacting reflexively._

Unohana stepped back as a smile of relief washed over her face. Her eyes softened; a strange light to them.

_Every time I black out, it's like I'm reborn!_

Unohana thought back to the first time she had met the nameless boy who would become Kenpachi Zaraki.

Until that point, she had never found anyone that was truly her equal. Someone who could truly challenge her. She imagined that boy had felt the same.

The euphoria she had felt in that fight was like nothing she could have ever imagined. To finally find an equal among the fodder that surrounded her.

And yet... She had felt shame. Because, in spite of finding a worthy opponent, he had shackled his true power.

Unohana had been strong. But that boy had been stronger.

Over time, she had seen him grow stronger. Every time he was pushed to the brink of defeat, he would regain that which he had lost. A fraction of his true unfathomable power.

_That is why I shall slay you hundreds- no, thousands of times over. That I why I shall keep on reviving you; healing you from the brink of death. Until you return to your true self._

As she thought, she continued to carve away at Kenpachi Zaraki. Every time she saw him slip into the sweet embrace of death. She would heal him. And every time, she healed him, he would come back more powerful than before.

Kenpachi Zaraki broke into a wide grin as he continued to charge Unohana.

He felt like his flesh was peeling off. Like the bare bones of his being were coming to the surface. Like he was finally transforming into what he had always been. A true demon of the sword.

Kenpachi laughed; lunacy dripping from his voice.

_Melting... It's all melting away! I feel so alive!_

He continued to strike at the woman in front of him. For every attack he took, he dealt out one of equal power.

_I finally feel like I've awoken from my eternal slumber..._

Kenpachi cut Unohana across the hip.

_Thanks to you, I finally understand... You've finally opened my eyes..._

They locked blades once more before forcing each other back. Feet dragged across the ground, whipping up clouds of dust.

_You are everything I've always wanted! You are what I've been searching for this entire time!_

Unohana continued to smile as she was cut to ribbons. Blood flew through the air. She no longer knew how to distinguish between her own and his any more.

She was engulfed in blissful ecstasy.

_Isn't it funny... she thought. You purposely sealed your power away, so that you could fight to your hearts content... While I learned how to heal my enemies so that I could do the same. We really are... Perfect for one-another._

She loosened her grip on the hilt of her sword.

_But... It makes me sad... I realise now what must happen. During a fight between two behemoths, only two things can... One nurtures the other, causing them to grow... While the other consumes the first._

Kenpachi lunged at her one final time.

Unohana's lips broke into a soft smile. She moved her sword out of the way a fraction of an inch.

_You were..._

Kenpachi's blade ran her through. Emerging from her back, the entire length of the steel was covered in deep crimson blood. It shimmered in the light; dancing.

Releasing her sword, Unohana reached up with her hands and cupped Kenpachi's face.

"You were the only man who could ever make me happy..." Leaning up, she planted a gentle kiss onto him, with blood-smeared lips. "Now... We finally... Have closure..."

Without another word, Unohana's arms fell. They hung limply by her sides. Lifeless.

Kenpachi pulled his blade from her chest and cradled her limp form in one arm. He dropped his sword and reached up with his free hand to touch his lips.

"Closure..." he whispered, trembling. "No... Please..." Tears formed in his eyes. "I'm begging you, no... I'm begging you!" He held her tightly, shaking like a leaf caught in the breeze. "Don't die..."

As he shook and shivered, the tears in his eyes mingled with the blood that soaked his face, thinning it. The long scar than ran down his cheek came into view.

"Don't die!" he roared, tightening his grip on Unohana's body.

Roused from death for a brief second, Unohana opened one eye a crack. Pride flooded her body.

_You need not mourn me... she thought. You now have many people you can call your equals... Friends to bicker with... Enemies to clash blades with... My only regret is not being able to see it._

She closed her eyes and let out one final sigh.

_And most importantly... I have found a blissful joy in death... Finally fulfilling what I had set in motion all those years ago... And that it was by your hand._

Kenpachi began to weep. He gritted his teeth and tensed every muscle in his body in an attempt to fight it back, but to no avail.

However, through his despair, there came a voice.

A voice calling his name.

**"Kenpachi Zaraki..."**

Turning his head, he attempted to place it's origin, but found no-one. "Show yourself!"

**"So you are finally able to hear me..."**

"Where are you?!"

**"I'm right here. I've always been right here... I am the one who knows you, better than anyone else."**

As if suddenly coming to a realisation, Kenpachi looked down at his discarded sword.

**"Hello, Kenpachi Zaraki,"** it said. **"It's nice to finally meet you. My name is..."**

* * *

><p>Yhwach descended the steps from his throne room, down towards the gathering Sternritter. His black cloak billowed around his body, granting him the visage of a giant formless bat.<p>

The Sternritter watched him intently.

"Good evening, my Sternritter," he said; his voice echoing through the cavernous hall. "I have something which I would like to discuss with you..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>[AN: For everyone that has stuck with me this long, I'm so glad that you're still enjoying this fic._**

**_Once again, this hasn't exactly been a chapter with a lot of content differing from the manga, however rest assured. During the next two chapters is when the real deviations shall begin. I don't want to spoil too much, but it's going to get crazy._**

**_I have also provided a list of the Sternritter revealed so far, on my profile, if you need any help remembering who's who. I've also included links to some concept art I've drawn up, based on physical descriptions and art from Tekking's results video; if you want to check that out.]_**


	20. Sternenlicht, Spielen Helles

**Chapter 20: Sternenlicht, Spielen Helles**

Yhwach's face bore a wide smile. Wild mutton chops and long matted hair framed his face and glowing red eyes. He addressed the Sternritter with deep pride in his voice.

"My dear Sternritter," he boomed. "I am sure that you are wondering for what purpose I have called you all together. I wish to dispel the rumours that this is concerning the second invasion." He began to pace across the podium. "But first, I wish to ask you all a question."

Several Sternritter nervously shifted in place.

"How many of you here are Echt? How many of you are of pure birth?"

They didn't know how to respond. All of the Sternritter were aware of the Auswhälen His Majesty had performed eight years earlier. They were all Echt Quincy. Not a single Gemischt Quincy was left alive.

Yhwach maintained his smile. "Well?"

All of the Sternritter raised their hands into the air.

"As I expected," Yhwach continued. "But why would I ask you this? None could survive the Auswhälen..." He closed his eyes. "Though that's not exactly true... Is it?"

Behind him, the curtain that usually hung over the entrance to his throne room, halfway up the great staircase, cascaded to the flood.

Uryu Ishida hung from the wall, crucified and bound by chains of light. Blood clung to his form and dripped to the floor. Behind his glasses, his eyes were hooded and barely open.

Half of the Sternritter recoiled in horror. The other half appeared intrigued by the display.

"This," Yhwach indicated the bloodied and beaten boy, "is Uryu Ishida. The last survivor." The Quincy King continued to pace across the stage, his hands on his hips. "He is a former ally of Kurosaki Ichigo... Two days ago, we managed to acquire him. He has since been... educated; and is now willing to join our army."

Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N)'s eyes were glued to the boy. His clenched fist was trembling and blood dripped from between his fingers. Teeth ground together as he watched the display.

Yhwach dispelled the reishi chains and spikes, dropping the boy from the wall. He turned towards him. "Isn't that right, Uryu?"

"Yes..." Uryu uttered, unsteadily lifting himself to his knees. "Y- Your... Majesty..."

Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) looked away. She couldn't stand to watch the display. Pulling her hand up to her face she began to chew the gap between her index finger and thumb.

Yhwach stepped back and beckoned Uryu to stand. "Now rise Uryu Ishida... Rise and meet your fellows."

Uryu staggered to his feet. Blood continued to drip from his body and pool beneath his feet. His trembling hand rose at his side, before falling into a salute. "H-hello... M... M-my name is Uryu I-...shida."

* * *

><p>"That poor boy," Clarlonde muttered, pushing her black and white hair behind her ear. Her eyes were cast to the floor and she was chewing on the corner of her lip, nervously. Her hand was bloody from where she had bitten clean through the skin.<p>

"I find myself agreeing with you," Knight said, folding his large armoured arms. "While I do not wish to disrespect my Sire, I believe that less extreme measures would have been sufficient to gain the boy's loyalty."

Sternritter S, Aya Herz, said nothing. Instead, she allowed her violet eyes to linger on the bloody boy, sat on the edge of the stage, constructed from Reishi. Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) was tending to him.

"Why do you think His Majesty decided to bring him here now?" Dientlynne Deiweiber (Sternritter U) asked. Her voice lacked the sympathy of the other two. She simply seemed dazed and jaded by the situation.

"His Majesty more than likely wishes to utilise him in the upcoming fight," Knight said. "I believe that Master Ishida has a connection to the Kurosaki boy. And there is always the matter of his resistance to the Auswhälen. That is not something to be taken lightly."

"Why does everyone care about this guy so much?!" Aya suddenly blurted out. "He's just another Quincy. And a Gemischt one at that! He doesn't even deserve to be here!"

"Young Miss-" Knight began, before he was cut off by the young girl's ranting.

"I'm going to go and tell him exactly what I think of him!" the girl shouted, breaking away from her own group and making a beeline for the stairs on which Uryu sat.

Storming up the stairs, Knight hurriedly trying to catch up to her and stop her, Aya approached Uryu and glared down at him through her purple eyes. Jamina was injecting him with a luminous blue fluid, from one of the numerous syringes she always carried with her.

Aya folded her arms over her chest. "Just who do you think you are?"

"Miss Herz!" Knight called after her, his armour rattling as he ran up the steps behind her.

Uryu looked up, through hooded eyes and peered through the blood dripping from his brow. He scanned the girl. "Someone of no importance," he said, answering her question.

"That was very rude, Miss," Knight said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and admonishing her. "Now apologise to Master Ishida."

Aya pouted. She was about to reply when she was cut off by a smug voice.

"I don't know why you waste your breath like that, Knight," Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) said. He was sat parallel to them, on the stairs. "We all know Aya is too stubborn to listen to anything anyone has to say, if she doesn't like it."

Aya rounded on him. "No one was speaking to you!" she snapped.

Onmar smirked and glanced at her through the corner of his lime green eyes. "I thought my opinion was needed. If we leave it up to the walking tin can, you'll never learn. He's too soft on you."

"Master Gunther," Knight said, sternly. "I implore you to retract your words. Otherwise I will take it as a slight against my honour, and have to pacify you."

"I'm sorry," Onmar said, lifting his hands either side of his head. "I didn't mean to offend you. I was just pointing out that Aya could act a little more ladylike."

Aya hissed between her teeth and moved to remove her left glove. "I'm going to shatter you."

Uryu moved so fast that no one even saw him twitch. Half-dead as he was, he managed to rise to his feet and grab Aya's right wrist.

"I don't want you fighting on my account," Uryu said, bluntly.

Onmar blinked in surprise, before whistling between his teeth. "Impressive."

"Thanks," Uryu muttered dismissively, releasing Aya. Turning his attention back to the girl, he stared intensely into her eyes. "I don't know what your Schrift is, but turning your power against a comrade is stupid." His eyes flicked downwards momentarily, noting Onmar's raised foot slowly returning to the floor. "And if my guess is right, this guy would probably come out on top if you two were to fight."

Aya scoffed and turned away from him, descending the stairs without another word.

Knight walked up to Uryu and bowed. "Thank you, sir," his voice echoed from the helmet. "Had they fought, Young Miss would have been injured. Should you need anything... Do not hesitate to call on me." With that, he turned and joined the girl.

Onmar leaned back, up the stairs, and clasped his hands behind his head. The point of his black fringe rested against the bridge of his nose. "How did you know I would win?"

Uryu sat back down and allowed Jamina to continue treating him. "I saw your foot," he explained. "As soon as she moved to attack you, you lifted it. So I'm guessing that has something to do with your abilities... And you were completely calm."

"Most people usually underestimate him," Jamina told Uryu as she tended his wounds. "Because of his personality. He's always complaining and is a real pain to get along with, so everyone assumes that he's just a grunt."

"Good thing I'm perceptive," Uryu said, flatly.

"You'd best keep that to yourself," Sylvanus Athala said, descending the stairs behind the trio and looking down at Uryu. "Most of them are trying to hide something. They don't like people knowing what they're up to at the best of times."

"I'll keep that in mind," Uryu muttered in response, wrings his hand around his wrist. The stigmata from where he had been nailed to the wall had completely closed up. He eyes Jamina appreciatively. "That's one hell of a power you have."

Jamina giggled to herself and blushed. "Like it? Personally I think it's the best out of the Sternritter."

"It's definitely the most useful," Sylvanus said, smiling.

"I was wondering..." Uryu asked. "How does it work?"

"You actually want to know?" Jamina questioned, shocked. "Most people don't care how, they just let me heal them and then go."

"I like to know how things work," Uryu said.

Jamina beamed. "Okay!" She pulled out one of her syringes and pointed to it. "Most people think that it's just the fluid in the injection that heals them, and I have different ones depending on the injury." Her smile widened. "But that's not it. It's all the same liquid. Particles of blue reishi began to flow from her finger into the needle. What I do is combine my Reiatsu with the fluid, and then I can control the properties at will."

"Wow," Uryu said, impressed. "That's amazing."

"Thanks!" Jamina said, blushing again.

"Haven't you left out something?" Onmar muttered, still in the same laying position. "Like how you use it in combat." There was an edge to his voice that seemed like he was goading her.

"Oh!" Jamina giggled. "Well I don't want to give away everything so soon, do I?"

Uryu got the sneaking suspicion that the cute and ditsy girl was a lot more dangerous than she was letting on. In spite of how nice she was, and maybe even because of it, he felt uneasy.

He could sense that every single one of the Sternritter were as strong as, if not stronger than, the average Shinigami Captain. And that analysis was excluding all of their strange powers. Uryu needed to watch his step. Despite being on their side, any one of them could turn on him at any second.

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous," Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) spat out.<p>

Sternritter D, Basilisk Jones, simply continued to absent-mindedly sketch. On the table beside him was a flat sheet of paper, upon which was a drawing of Uryu Ishida; crucified. His left hand gripped a pencil and danced over it. "This is none of our concern..." His voice was emotionless and blunt.

"Don't you have any pride?" Legion hissed through his beard, leaning close to Basilisk. His breath stank of death; like he was rotting from the inside out.

Basilisk's sky blue eyes narrowed and he looked up from the paper. He stopped sketching. His gaze darted over Legion's face.

The older man bore bags under his eyes, and his sclera were yellowed. Veins extended across their surface, and his pupils were different sizes. His usual amber eyes were discoloured a sickly shade of yellow.

"Are you okay?" Basilisk asked, lifting one eyebrow. His voice remained stoic.

"What do you mean?" Legion responded, backing up dismissively.

"You look sick."

"The hell if I know..." Legion grumbled. "I've been like it since the invasion. That bitch Jamina can't do anything about it."

"That's strange," Basilisk muttered. "Jamina is usually able to deal with most problems like that."

"At least the trembling has stopped. She was able to fix that, at least."

Basilisk continued to watch the old man for several seconds. Behind the white fabric mask, that reached the bridge of his nose, his breathing was slow and steady.

"I would have thought you'd know what it was," he finally said. "What with the amount that you'd travelled."

"When I travelled, I looked at the scenery, not the diseases," Legion mockingly replied. "I wanted to see the world. The people, as far as I'm concerned, didn't deserve to be spoiling my view."

Basilisk hummed in response and returned to his sketch. The graphite wizzed across the paper. The lines danced outwards. Soon the drawing was complete. He put down his pencil.

Legion craned his neck to look at the picture. He pulled his top lip up in mild disgust. "That's sick."

"That's a crucifixion," Basilisk corrected, completely deadpan and lacking even a hint of sarcasm.

"I get the feeling that subtle is lost on you," Legion muttered. "Metaphors just go over your head..."

"Nothing goes over my head," Basilisk said. Not an ounce of irony was present in his voice. "My reflexes are too fast; I would catch it."

Legion Longstride paused. _Did he just make a joke?_

He dismissed it with a shake of his head. "You're such an idiot..."

* * *

><p>Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) walked into Yhwach's throne room. She had discarded her usual red cape, instead wearing her regular Sternritter uniform; the jacket cut high to show off her mid-riff.<p>

"Lenora," Yhwach uttered, calmly, as she approached his throne from the back.

"Your display earlier has certainly created a buzz among the Sternritter," Lenora said. "Your Majesty, are you certain that was the correct way to introduce Uryu Ishida to the Knights?"

"All eyes are on him now," Yhwach replied. "By doing so I made him a spectacle. I initially considered announcing him as my successor, for the very same reason..."

Lenora felt her face grow hot with anger at the revelation. She was His Majesty's closest aide; and to think that she had almost been passed over for such a trivial reason left acid coursing through her veins.

"However," he continued, "breaking him like that is in our best interests. By making him my successor, all eyes would be on him, true... He would be unable to make any moves. But through his education, loyalty and fear has been drawn from him. So much so that he would not even consider taking action against us."

As she listened to the explanation, Lenora's full red lips twisted into a grin. She understood perfectly.

Every member of the Sternritter were already in deep discussions or thoughts concerning the boy. He would be completely immobilised, if he decided to turn his power against them. Not to mention the fear of rebellion that was undoubtedly instilled in him during the torture.

"That's genius, Your Majesty," Lenora said, her hands finding her hips.

"Thank you, Lenora," Yhwach replied, smiling. His red eyes slowly rose, until he was staring out of his palace and into the open night sky.

Stars glittered and twinkled through the black. Ever-changing shapes and shadows of light were thrown down upon the buildings of the Silbern.

The breeze that fluttered throughout the streets carried on it whispers of the new arrival.

"And with that..." Yhwach said slowly. "The preparations for the War are complete."

* * *

><p>"Seventy one hours an' fourty eight minutes," Ohetsu Nimaya said, smirking. "Just about three days and nights..."<p>

Beneath him, the darkness of the Asauchi's lair swallowed almost all light thrown down upon it. Only a small patch of illumination was visible. A shadowy figure stood in the middle of it; badly beaten.

"Yer game was on point. Ya' got the skills to pay the bills." Nimaya scratched the side of his face in a distracted manner. "Ya' pass with flying colours... Renji-chan~."

Off to the side, Ichigo began to struggle to his feet, using his severed wrist as a support. He was breathing heavily and sweating. "W... Wait... I can still..."

"Not happenin'," Nimaya interjected. "Epic fail. That was so whack it hurt me t' watch."

"B-but... you never said... there was a time limit!"

"Yer right," Nimaya relplied. "But mah patience has reached its limit. And fact is... Asauchi themselves have deemed ya' unworthy. S' out of mah hands. Game, set, n' match. So whack..."

"H-hang on!" Ichigo staggered to his feet and shouted up at the Royal Guard member. "You can't-!"

"Think you'll find I can. All's been proven is Renji is a true Shinigami... And yer nothin' but a fake. Least I can do is show you the door." He turned away and waved his hand dismissively. "Get outta here. Go home."

Ichigo felt his heart lurch in his chest. _No! This isn't right!_

"Don't bother showin' ya' mug around here again," Nimaya continued. "Soul Society ain't a place for poser Soul Reapers."

"Wait!" Ichigo screamed. "If I go now, what's going to happen to Zangetsu?!"

Nimaya didn't even bother to turn around. "S'not mah problem. I ain't fixin' him. Go, Shi, San, Ni-maya Ohetsu don't give blades to fakes."

Ichigo felt a sudden surge of rage grip his body like a vice. Leaping from the ground, he left the Houou-den and charged Nimaya. "You bastard!"

Half turning, the Royal Guard shot two blasts of spiritual energy at the youth. The orange-haired boy was flung into a portal and vanished.

"Have a nice trip, Ichigo-chaaaaan~!"


	21. Walking With Watchers

**Chapter 21: Walking With Watchers**

Ohetsu Nimaya watched as Ichigo disappeared into the portal. He pushed his ornate sunglasses up his nose.

"Ya' need to step yer game up, Ichigo-chan," he said, staring off into space. "Asauchi deemed ya' unworthy... Which means ya' came this far without an Asauchi in the firs' place. Ya' need t' crawl before ya' can walk. Ya' need t' start from the ground up... And if that means never comin' back here again... So be it."

* * *

><p>Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) was deep in thought. He walked the streets of the Silbern, snow crunching against his boots. As usual, he wore his skull mask, and his almost luminous blue eyes shone from the sockets.<p>

Eric was thinking about Uryu Ishida. About how he couldn't even stand to look at him, when Yhwach had revealed the boy. He felt so sorry for him. He had wanted to save him.

He began to tremble and shake with rage.

The display had dragged up old memories, he had long tried to banish from his mind.

Eric felt sick.

He paid no mind to where he was going; his mind lost in thought. Eric failed to notice the two women walking towards him.

Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) and Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) were almost bowled over as the man strode into them. Their contrasting red and blue hair flailed wildly through the air.

Eric slipped on the icy floor and landed on his back.

"Sorry, sorry!" he hurriedly apologised.

"It's okay..." Nina said, reaching down to help him up, only to have her hand refused. "You need to watch where you're going, though."

Eric lifted himself back to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," he said, attempting to brush snow from the back of his white trench coat. The damp had already caused it to go slightly see-through. "I was lost in thought..."

"What were you thinking about?" Nina asked; her natural curiosity surpassing her usually withdrawn attitude.

"I was thinking about Uryu Ishida," Eric replied.

"As are most of the Silbern, probably," said Nina, in response. Her deep brown eyes were gazing at the ice castle, behind Eric.

Stood off to the side, Adelaid kept herself to herself. She merely listened to the pair's discussion.

"I feel sorry for him," Eric said. "I wanted to save him."

"Some people didn't," Nina replied, stoically. "Did you see Balder's face? He wanted to finish him off."

Eric was about to say something, but thought better of it. Instead he said: "It was the first time I've even seen Balder in weeks. I think he was hiding during the first attack."

"I don't think so," Nina said. Her eyes narrowed. "Based on his abilities, he was probably participating from a distance."

"Yeah I guess so." His mouth, visible below his skull mask, twisted. "Now that I think about it, I think Balder's abilities are quite simple and effective... It makes a nice change from all these complicated monsters running around."

"You say that, but from what I've heard, your ability is quite complicated," Nina said, with a discerning smile.

"You've got me at a disadvantage," he responded. "You seem to know quite a lot about me, but I don't know anything about you."

"I like to keep myself to myself," she said, with an ever so slight smirk. "And I'm naturally curious."

"Give me a hint?" he asked, returning the smirk.

"It begins with a B."

"Who'd have thought?" Eric began to chuckle.

Nina involuntarily began to blush. Catching herself, she let out a quick breath and prayed that he didn't notice.

Watching the conversation, Adelaid's mood brightened. Her hair changed from it's usual bright blue to a deep crimson; matching Nina's.

"Well that's curious," Eric muttered, noting the colour change.

Realising that Adelaid's hair had changed, Nina began to blush even more furiously than before. She knew, through discussion with her sole friend, that Adelaid's hair only changed colour when she saw something cute. The prospect that she had found her conversation with Eric such, both horrified and intrigued her.

"Well, we had better get moving," Nina blurted out. Beginning to walk off, Adelaid followed her. Permitting herself a quick glance over her shoulder, as she walked, she eyed Eric. "I'll see you later."

Eric, apparently oblivious to what had just occurred, waved. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

Turning towards Nina as they walked, Adelaid whispered: "What did I just witness?"

"Nothing," Nina replied, defensively. "I don't know what you think you saw, but I was just talking to him."

"It was adorable," Adelaid insisted. "You like him; I know you do."

"Don't be ridiculous," came the reply. "I don't like anyone. Well; except you, of course."

"Have you talked to him before?"

"Well, no. But-"

"Then how do you know that you don't like him?" Adelaid smiled. "I saw that little back and forth. You were flirting with him."

"I don't even know what his face looks like," Nina persisted.

"Maybe that's what's doing it for you?" Adelaid responded, breaking into a laugh.

As Nina laughed at her friend's joke, she caught herself thinking about Eric.

* * *

><p>Snow (The Yuki-Oni) was laying on his bed. Pale eyes, like chips of dirty eyes, lingered on the window as he watched the snow fall. From his forehead, two prominent horns had sprouted.<p>

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he grunted, lazily. Snow turned onto his side, so that he was facing the entrance.

Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) walked into the room and placed her hands on her hips. Her short black hair hung down over her face as she tilted her head to the side.

Snow looked into her emerald green eyes and raised one eyebrow. "This is a surprise." His womanly face moved lazily. "I thought you didn't like me?"

Tomoko broke into a slight grin. "I don't."

"Then why have you graced me with your presence?" Snow asked, waving his arms half-heatedly around.

"What's that outside the window?" Tomoko retorted, annoyed.

Snow grunted and looked over his shoulder. "Snow?" he replied, apathetically.

"Because of you, Onmar is throwing a fit." She pointed at the horns atop his head. "I don't get why you insist on using your Schrift as much as you do."

He broke into a smirk. "I like watching Onmar squirm. I know how much he hates the cold."

"So you do it just to spite him?"

"Pretty much."

"That's all well and good," Tomoko said. "But you're not the one he runs to every time he gets so much as a shiver. You know my ability has a time limit, so he's a source of endless annoyance. And, by association, you are too."

Snow seemed to mull over the statement for several seconds. He retracted his horns, and the snow outside the window stopped. "Better?"

"Much," Tomoko replied. As she was about to remove herself from her comrade's living quarters, she stopped and continued to talk to Snow. "Why do you provoke him?" she asked. "You know Onmar could kill you."

"At this point, it's a game," Snow muttered. "If he does, then I win... And he knows that."

Tomoko began to chuckle. "You're a strange one..."

Snow rolled onto his back and clasped his hands behind his head. "So I've been told."

"I shouldn't be complaining, really," Tomoko sighed, folding her arms. "My ability makes me too hot. I should be grateful for you cooling me down."

Lost in thought for several minutes, the beautiful man all but ignored the girl that was stood in his quarters. What she had said about Onmar being able to kill him, had piquéd his curiosity.

"Who do you think is the strongest Sternritter?" he suddenly asked.

The question caught Tomoko by surprise. Her mouth and bright green eyes twisted. "That's a tough one..." She pulled a chair from beside a nearby table and sat down. Crossing one leg over the other, she began to ponder. "Of course there are the four elites..."

"But rank doesn't necessarily dictate strength, does it?" Snow grinned.

"I don't know about that..." Tomoko said, returning the smile. "Joseph Fehler is a monster."

"His Schrift is definitely tricky... Plus he's powerful to boot." The womanly man continued to stare at the ceiling. "But I wouldn't say that he's the strongest."

"Zeit?" Tomoko suggested, putting forward the name of the much-famed Sternritter O.

"Zeit is definitely in the running," he muttered. "But he's much too quiet to get a read on." Flicking one pale eye to the side, he watched Tomoko. "I'd say you're in the running."

"If you're including me, it would be rude not to include Knight." She smirked. "His strength is potentially unlimited."

Snow only hummed in response.

"I notice that you haven't included Onmar in your prospects for strength." Tomoko lifted one eyebrow.

"What can I say..." Snow replied. "I don't hold him in too high a regard."

* * *

><p>Balder Blitzkrieg (Sternritter W) was spinning a knife around his fingers.<p>

The light above him was shining down on his deep brown skin. Coal black eyes were fixed on the blade. His other hand was stroking the stylised goatee that adorned his chin.

Sat opposite him, was Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O).

"So, how was your time in Hueco Mundo?" Balder asked the young boy.

Zeit shrugged and smiled. He tapped against the table several times; morse code.

"You know, a lot of the other Ritters think you're mute?" Blader chuckled, taking his eyes off of the knife to look at Zeit. "I just don't have the heart t' tell 'em you choose not t' talk."

The boy snatched the knife out of the air and broke into a grin. Placing his palm on the table that the pair were sat at, he splayed his fingers.

The knife moved so fast that it vanished. Over and over he stabbed the gaps between his fingers, never so much as knicking himself. Once he was done, Zeit plunged the blade into the wood and left it protruding from the table.

Balder leaned over and inspected the pockmarks on the surface. In the spaces between and surrounding his fingers, Zeit had spelled out six words: "What they don't know won't hurt."

The black man chuckled and ran his hand over the top of his bald head. "You've got a point."

Zeit only smiled in reply. He titled his head to the side.

As he looked at the words, Balder couldn't help but feel impressed. Before he had been drafted into the Vandenreich, he had been a soldier. His old army friends and comrades had played the knife game, and never had he seen someone move so fast and so precise.

He and Zeit were two of the longest serving Sternritter. Gillaume DaVinci (The Friction) and Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) were the only two who had been enlisted as long as they had.

Balder had joined their ranks almost ten years earlier, before the Auswhälen had been conducted. Legion became a Sternritter a year later. Gillaume, on the other hand, seemed to have always been there. It was almost as if he were part of the scenery. Balder had heard a rumour that Gillaume was the one that designed the ice palace, that marked the epicentre of the Silbern.

Zeit, however, was a mystery. Balder knew that he had joined before him, but the exact time was unknown.

Another curious thing was that the boy never seemed to age.

Admittedly, Balder knew the curious boy a lot better than most other Sternritter; save Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C). But even then, there was still an almost ludicrous amount that he didn't know.

Just as he was about to say something, Balder's non-statement was interrupted by the sudden interference of Yhwach's voice entering his mind. From the look on the youth's face, Zeit could hear it as well.

_"My dear Sternritter," _His Majesty's voice said. _"You are to gather in my Palace. The end is nigh. The final assault approaches."_

* * *

><p>Ichigo felt rain on his face.<p>

He awoke, laying on the sidewalk. He no longer wore his Shihakusho; instead clad in the clothes that he had been wearing when he entered Urahara Shoten, the evening of the first invasion. Orange hair clung to his face, due to the moisture.

"What... Am I...?" Ichigo questioned, lifting his left arm to wipe his face. Despite being in a physical body, his hand was still missing. As he realised this, he gritted his teeth.

Light fell on his face. Squinting up at the sky, he saw the sign of the Kurosaki clinic. He was at home.

Realising that his human body must have been brought home by Urahara, he began to call after the store owner. "Urahara! Urahara?!"

He heard the door open behind him.

_It's probably dad..._

Ichigo's mind briefly flashed back to his father, clad in the uniform of a Shinigami.

_How can I face him, after what has happened to me...? How can I face any of them? I've lost my Zanpakuto and my hand..._

As he moved to run, Ichigo was grabbed around the top of his right arm. Turning back, he found his father's gaze.

"Dad, I..." he stammered, unsure over what to say.

It was then that he realised the Isshin was clad in a Shihakusho. Ichigo stopped in his tracks and broke into a somber expression.

"You... Came for me, wearing that..." Ichigo said. "So I'm sure you know what has happened..."

"Yeah..." Isshin said, releasing his son's arm. "Urahara told me all about your broken Zanpakuto. About your hand. And all about the Royal Guard." He looked into Ichigo's eyes. "Nimaya sent you back here, didn't he?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open wide at the statement.

"It's to be expected..." Isshin closed his eyes and folded his arms. The rain continued to fall on the pair. "Your Bankai is beyond repair... And I doubt he would help you. Especially considering... You don't know anything about yourself."

Ichigo's right hand grasped the neck of his father's Shihakusho and he practically lifted him off of the ground. He was trembling with anger.

Isshin slowly reached up and removed his son's hand from his clothes. "Do you remember back in the fight with Aizen? When you said that I could tell you when I was ready... Well I'm ready." He placed one hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "You had better come inside and sit down... I'm going to tell you the truth about everything..."


	22. Everything But The Rain

**Chapter 22: Everything But The Rain**

Ichigo sat down on his familiar couch and placed his hand and wrist atop his knees. His deep brown eyes stared into his father's own similar spheres.

"So where do you want to start...?" Ichigo asked him.

"I guess I should start at the beginning," Isshin replied. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I am... Or rather, I was... Isshin Shiba. The head of the Shoba family."

Ichigo pulled a dumbfounded face. "So Kukaku and Ganju are-?"

"My niece and nephew, yes," Isshin said, cutting his son off.

The orange-haired boy permitted himself an brief moment of disgust at the idea that he was related to Ganju.

"I was the Captain of Squad Ten. Rangiku Matsumoto was my second, and Toshiro Hitsugaya was my third seat." His eyes narrowed. "And yes... Before you say it... I've heard about Toshiro." He took a deep breath and shifted his sitting position. "There was in incident, in Narukishi City. Shinigami were vanishing in droves, and so I... I disobeyed an order from the Head Captain and went to investigate it on my own."

Ichigo said nothing. He simply listened to his father, telling the story.

"When I arrived in the city, I was attacked," Isshin continued. "This thing... It looked like a hollow, but it was much stronger... Much, much stronger."

* * *

><p><strong><em>-Narukishi City, Twenty Years Ago-<em>**

Isshin Shiba (Captain of Squad 10) leapt between buildings, in an attempt to dodge the creature's repeated attacks. It was ridiculously fast.

Blood stained the back of his Captain's Haori. When he arrived, the creature had blindsided him.

Isshin gritted his teeth.

_With a wound like this, I won't be able to use my Bankai... Shit..._

He ducked sideways, narrowly avoiding a strike from the thing's bladed forearms. A cut opened up across his cheek.

Retaliating, Isshin launched white fire from his Zanpakuto up at his assailant. He had long ago released Engetsu. The strange creature leapt back to dodge.

_Come on you slippery bastard! Just stay still!_

All around him, the rain cascaded down; the droplets a thick swarm. Isshin's feet ripped through the water that was drowning the street.

Strike after strike, the creature either dodged or blocked everything that he threw at it. Leaping up, their battle was taken skyward; suspended in the airborne reishi.

Within minutes, the pair's exchange had flung them at least three Ri southwest.

"Captain Shiba?!" suddenly arose a voice from behind Isshin. "What are you doing here?! This is the Thirteenth Squad's district!"

_What?! We've been forced into another district already?! Where are we?!_

He forced back the hollow and caught a brief glimpse of a sign in his peripheral vision. It read: "**Karakura-Cho**".

The hollow suddenly stopped attacking him and made a beeline for the unseated Shinigami that had shouted. Bypassing Isshin's blade, it launched itself at the Soul Reaper and began charging a cero between its long horns.

"No! Damn it!" Isshin screamed, turning back on himself to chase after the creature.

An explosion ripped through the cloudy sky.

* * *

><p>Ichigo looked into his father's eyes and clenched his remaining fist.<p>

"It was all I could do to touch it, without my Bankai," Isshin said, slowly. "It got away from me, and attacked a nearby Shinigami. That's when I think they noticed us..."

"Who noticed you?" Ichigo asked.

"I didn't know this at the time..." Isshin started. "But two families of Quincy had made their home in Karakura town. Two very old and powerful families... The Ishida... And the Kurosaki..."

* * *

><p>Masaki Kurosaki ran through the streets of Karakura town. All around her, the rain tore through the air.<p>

Her leather shoes splashed through the puddles, throwing water up her legs. Deep auburn hair clung to her face; fixed by rivulets of water.

She had felt the echoes of spiritual pressure, even when it was contained in Narukishi City. They were that immense. From what she could tell, it was a hollow and a Shinigami that were fighting.

Explosions shook the very air around her as she sensed the two entities clash.

The Ishida family had all but forbidden her from going after the Hollow. They claimed that it was far too dangerous, and that she would be killed. As a pure blooded Quincy, that had to be avoided at all costs.

However, Masaki couldn't just let someone potentially die, due to her inaction.

She caught sight of two individuals in the sky above her.

Up in the air, about a quarter mile away from Masaki, Isshin ground his blade against the creature's forearm. "No way something as powerful as you has been running around without the Soul Society noticing. Someone's been covering your ass! Who's pulling your strings?!"

The thing said nothing. It continued to stare at him through empty black sockets.

Suddenly, Isshin felt another blow against his back. It had not come from the hollow-like creature. He fell from the sky and landed atop a building.

_That was a Zanpakuto... So that's it. There's a traitor that's been controlling this thing!_

"Show yourself!" he shouted into thin air. "Where are you hiding?!"

Isshin didn't get a chance to continue his search. Falling upon him, the hollow clashed against Engetsu yet again, cracking the concrete beneath his back. Dust flew up into the air, around the Captain's body.

Forcing his adversary back, Isshin pulled himself to his feet and jumped into the air. "No time for breathing room, eh?!" He reached over his shoulder and palmed the blood gripping his clothes. Pulling it to his lips, he sucked in the crimson fluid before breathing it out onto his Zanpakuto. White fire tore through the air, evaporating the rain around it, and collided with the creature.

A monstrous explosion ripped through the sky. The thing's right arm was torn from it's body by the blast and shot down onto the street below, where it continued to burn.

Minus an arm, it still continued to charge Isshin. Once more, his back felt concrete buckle and cave as he was slammed into the top of a building. He was so focussed on blocking the creature's arm, that he realised too late that it was charging a cero in front of his face.

_Shit...!_

Out of nowhere, a bright blue arrow, formed from reishi rocketed through the air, towards the creature's head. It managed to hurriedly dodge; dispersing its cero.

Isshin's head whirled towards the source of the shot.

Stood in the middle of the street, beneath the building, was a girl. Her soaking auburn hair whipped around her face, matching the motion of her school uniform. In her hands, she held a bow, constructed from reishi.

_A Quincy... _Isshin thought, gasping.

The creature flew from the Captain and made a mad dash for Masaki. It moved insanely fast.

Before Isshin could even register how he would go after it, Masaki did a curious thing. As opposed to shooting at it, she dispelled her bow and extended one arm at it.

_What is she...?_

"Dodge, you idiot!"

Masaki ignored Isshin's shouting. The black creature bit clean through her left shoulder; teeth sinking into flesh. Blood poured down her back.

Her left arm shot up and grasped it around the back of the head. Masaki's right hand manifested a small bow, that she placed on the side of the thing's temple.

"Got youuuu~!" she cooed, blasting it in the head, point blank.

* * *

><p>"That was when I first saw her," Isshin said, with a weak smile. "She was so... Beautiful. Beautiful and strong." He began to laugh under his breath. "I was kind of embarrassed... I mean, a teenage girl saving a Captain?"<p>

Ichigo felt himself break into an unintentional smile. Hearing about his father's first reaction to his mother was nice.

"I asked her her name, and of course she told me," Isshin continued. "But I had to return to the Soul Society... I reported the incident to the Head Captain, though I left out the details about your mother's involvement. I didn't want to cause her any trouble." He scratched the side of his head and smiled bashfully. "Truth told, I couldn't stop thinking about her... So I went back to see her."

* * *

><p>Ryuken Ishida was running through the streets of Karakura-Cho, cradling Masaki in his arms. He was sweating and his breathing was ragged.<p>

Desperation gripped his face.

Ryuken didn't know where he was running to; only that he needed to help Masaki. She had collapsed fifteen minutes earlier. It appeared as if there was a Hollow hole opening on her chest.

He was so focussed on running and caring for the girl, that he failed to check his surroundings. Before he knew it, there was a Hollow charging him.

But this was not to be his day. The creature was split cleanly in half, by and unknown force.

Hurriedly trying to place his saviour, Ryuken called out into the empty air.

"Phew... Close call," Isshin Shiba said, stepping forwards. "Looks like I made it in the knick of time."

"You...!" Ryuken hissed.

Noticing the Hollow hole, beneath Masaki's throat, Isshin broke into a worried expression. "Wait, that's... Quick, let me see her!"

"No!" Ryuken screamed, stepping away from the Shinigami Captain. "Why do you think she's like this?! She was attacked by that Hollow because she was trying to protect you! This is all your fault!"

Isshin's eyes opened wide and he gasped.

"She broke the Quincy Code!" continued Ryuken. "She went out to save you, when she was supposed to stay inside! Because of that, she was injured!" His eyes narrowed. "I swear that I'll-!"

"Lets stop this..." suddenly arose a voice.

Isshin and Ryuken turned towards the source of the voice. Stood, watching them, was a man in a black cloak. Pulled down low, his hat shrouded half of his face in shadow.

"Both of you follow me," he said. "If you do, I'll be able to help you save that girl."

* * *

><p>"That was the first time I met Kisuke Urahara," Isshin explained. "And Uryu's father..."<p>

"What..." Ichigo cleared his throat. "What was wrong with Mom?"

"The Hollow that attacked me, I found out, was created by Aizen," said Isshin, narrowing his eyes. "That was the traitor who attacked me. The Hollow was designed to Hollowfy any high level Shinigami that it managed to bite. But for some reason... It's natural instincts drew it to attack your mother."

Ichigo clenched his fist. He suddenly had a strange inkling as to what his father was going to say.

"She began to Hollowfy," his father said. "But, for some reason it was poisoning her. Kisuke called it Soul Suicide... It means that her Soul wasn't used to the Hollowfication and was starting to break down."

The orange-haired youth was trembling.

"Kisuke said that the only way to counteract the Soul Suicide was to insert something to suppress the hollow Reiatsu. To restore balance in the Soul." Isshin broke into a slight smile. "Ryuken was outraged... Knowing that he couldn't be the one to help her. That it had to be me." His expression softened. "Truth be told, I don't think he thought I would actually do it. In order to counteract the Hollowfication, my soul had to be inserted into a Gigai, and then bound to Masaki with reishi strings. It would leave me human... Unable to even see Hollows."

"But you did it to protect Mom..." Ichigo smiled.

"Yeah," Isshin replied, losing his slightly somber attitude and beaming. "I did it because I wanted to save her."

"So, what happened next?"

"After that Masaki was removed from the Ishida house... Due to her Soul being tainted by the Hollow, they no longer saw her as pure. As for me... The only subject I really paid any attention to in the Academy was medicine... So that's why I opened the clinic." He continued to smile. "While Masaki attended University, she would often come by to see me. I had told her that I was stripped of my powers and exiled from the Soul Society for breaking the rules. I think she knew I was lying... She could always see right through me like that. But... Those sort of things never really mattered when we were together." Tears began to well in Isshin's eyes, before slipping down his cheeks. "One day we went to see a movie... It was a total snooze-fest from start to finish... But I'll always remember how Masaki bawled her eyes out from start to finish... And this one line. The man in the movie said that how his wife was like the sun. That was when I knew... Masaki was my sun."

Ichigo remembered about how he had said something similar about his mother. About how she was the centre of his family's universe. He cast his eyes to the floor and smiled.

"Then before we knew it... You were born... And the Hollow was passed from Masaki to you. And you know the rest. You met Rukia Kuchiki; went to the Soul Society." He began to wring his hands together. "As you began to encounter strong opponents, the hollow inside you slowly awakened... And once it was fully released, the bonds holding back my Shinigami powers were broken."

Casting his eyes to the floor, Ichigo slowly came to understand everything.

"However..." Isshin suddenly said. "There is one important thing that you have been misinformed about this entire time... And that is what happened the night your mother died... Nine years ago; on the seventeenth of June."

"What are you saying...?" Ichigo asked. He had started to tremble again; however this time it was from outrage. "What happened?! What happened to Mom that you're not telling me?!" He rose to his feet.

"I'm saying that..." Isshin gripped his forearm in a vice-like grip. "Your mother wasn't supposed to die. The Quincy have a defensive ability called Blut."

"I already know that!" Ichigo shouted. "Urahara told me all about it!"

"But haven't you ever wondered... Why Uryu Ishida had no such ability?"

Ichigo's eyes opened wide.

"Pure blooded Quincy are born with it. Every single one, without fail. Mixed blooded like Uryu are not..." He looked Ichigo dead in the eye. "Knowing that... Why was your mother killed by the Hollow, Grand Fisher?"

Ichigo found himself stunned. He had not thought about it that way. In fact, even after finding out that his mother was a Quincy, the thought had never even entered his mind.

"Has Uryu Ishida ever spoken to you about his mother?" Isshin suddenly asked. Ichigo gave him no response. "His mother was Kanae Katagiri, a mixed-blood Quincy. Nine years ago, on the seventeenth of June... She collapsed... And died three months later."

"What..." Ichigo spat out, horrified. "What happened nine years ago...?!"

"Auswhälen," his father explained. "A holy selection of Quincy, conducted by Yhwach. In Quincy lore, a tale is told of a sealed Emperor... Who regained his form after nine hundred years... His mind after ninety years... And his power after nine." He gritted his teeth. "On that day, nine years ago, Yhwach selected all Quincy he deemed as impure, and stole their powers, for his own."

Ichigo felt his heart lurch. He remembered staring down Yhwach on the battlefield. Knowing that that man was responsible for his mother's death made him feel physically sick.

"Dad..." Ichigo ground out, from between his clenched teeth. "Who is... Yhwach? How can he...?"

"Yhwach," Isshin explained. "Is the predecessor of all Quincy. And his blood... Flows through the veins of every Quincy. Even you."

Ichigo recalled the words that Yhwach had spoken to him. The wound where his hand had been throbbed.

His face suddenly softened. "Dad..." he whispered, before looking up into his father's eyes. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Ichigo walked through the entrance to the Kurosaki Clinic, just as the rain began to subside.<p>

Stood waiting for him, were Orihime and Chad. Their faces were somber, yet still smiling.

Orihime stepped forwards and took Ichigo's severed wrist in her hands. Without a word, she began to heal him. Reforming from the smooth skin, bone and muscle were reconstructed as the damage was rejected.

Soon, Ichigo's left hand had returned. Almost as if nothing had happened. He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The restoration of his hand was the final piece of the puzzle. The sorrow that had assaulted him during his battle with Yhwach had almost completely vanished; replaced instead by fierce determination.

"Thank you..." Ichigo said, softly. Looking into the girl's eyes, he began to smile.

"Urahara-San says to tell you good luck," Orihime said, blushing subtly. "He would have come himself, but-"

"He didn't trust him alone in the shop," Ichigo said, completing her sentence; referring to the individual he had heard over the communication. "I've decided that I'm going back." He looked up into the sky. "I'm going back, and I'm going to finish what I started."

Orihime pulled a curious face. "How are you going to do that?" she asked, innocently.

Ichigo blinked. He was completely dumbfounded.

It was then that Ichigo realised that he had no method of returning to the Royal Palace. He began to feel distressed and flustered.

Appearing almost as if on-cue, Mera materialised behind Ichigo. "Fancy seeing you here," she grinned. Ichigo's face contorted in horror, as he began to scream. The spiky-haired girl grabbed him, pulling him into a portal.

There was a flash of black and Ichigo found himself back in the lair of the Asauchi; dressed in his Shihakusho. Lifting his head, hurriedly, he spotted Mera and Nimaya looking down at him from the entrance.

"What the...?" he gasped.

"Nimaya set the portal to materialise again, after exactly one night," Mera explained. "He figured, if you didn't make up your mind by then, you never would."

"Ding, ding, ding!" Nimaya cried, lifting one finger in the air. "We have a winner!" He looked down at Ichigo's face and broke into a wide grin. "Now that's a face I can dig, Ichigo-chan~! Now, whenever you're ready, the Asauchi will-"

He was cut off as all of the shapeless white creatures surrounding Ichigo simultaneously bowed. At that moment, it was as if Ichigo came to a sudden realisation.

Walking up to one, he placed his hand on its shoulder. "It's you..." he whispered. The instant Ichigo touched the Asauchi, it's skin began to chip and peel away. Beneath its outer shell, the sword took the shape of Ichigo; right down to the hair. Covering its face, was a hollow mask.

"Badass," Nimaya grinned. "Bring 'im up here... I'll personally forge it for ya'."


	23. March Of The Starcross 2

**Chapter 23: March of the Starcross 2 [The Last Nine Days]**

The Gotei Thirteen were busy preparing for the next inevitable battle with the Quincy army. Numerous soldiers bustled in an attempt to rebuild the numerous damaged buildings and streets. As this occurred, those not tasked with repair trained and honed their skills.

Akon, and the remaining members of the Research and Development Division, were busying themselves at various work stations and machines. Though their faces or work ethic didnt suggest it, they were feeling worried.

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi hadn't left his private lab in over a week. Even more worrying, the Captain had shut off all of the security devices. It was almost as if he was trying to hide something.

From their labs, in the basement of the destroyed institute, Akon and his fellows had observed their comrades progress.

Almost two weeks had passed since the initial attack and they were just about getting back on their feet. The truth of the matter was, the Shinigami were doing far better than expected.

Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki had been training almost non-stop since the end of the last attack. Honing their skills and supporting each other, through their own inner turmoil.

Not a single person had seen Sajin Komamura, or Sui-Feng, following the departure of the Zero Division. Theories exchanged, among the few remaining unseated officers, suggested that they were outside of the Seireitei, preparing themselves.

Shunsui Kyoraku was often seen prowling around the Seireitei. It appeared as if he were setting traps for the Quincy, should they make their return.

No-one knew when the Vandenreich would attack next; however, with the preparations they had put it place, they wouldn't be going down without a fight.

However, in spite of all their preparing and planning, there was one thing that the Shinigami did not account for. Something moving beneath their very feet.

The shadows.

* * *

><p>Shunsui Kyoraku watched the Seireitei from the open wall of the Head Captain's office. The deep red sun was sinking below the horizon, throwing orange light across the rooftops below him.<p>

Birds flew through the sky, circling the buildings.

Visible, through pink clouds, the full moon was already visible.

The new Head Captain took a deep breath and sighed deeply. He knew that he was prepared, but there were times that he was worried that even being prepared may not have been enough.

As if taking a cue from this feeling, a strange sensation began to spread up his legs; starting at his feet. In one swift move, his shadow spread out across the floor of the office and shot up the walls.

Following behind the ripple of darkness, the floor and walls began to change. Instead of wood, white marble and ice was left in the wake of the change.

From the open wall, Shunsui could see the same thing happening all across the Seireitei. Buildings were eclipsed in darkness, leaving new constructs behind.

Where the Seireitei once stood, the Silbern remained.

"Shit..." Shunsui muttered under his breath. "And just like that, all the traps that I've set are useless... Talk about taking us by surprise."

"That was the plan," arose a voice from behind the Head Captain. "We didn't break through the Shakonmaku to invade... Rather, we had been here from the beginning; hiding in the shadows."

Turning around, Shunsui adjusted his wide hat and laid eyes on a young woman. She had long purple and red hair on the top of her head, which fell down the right side of her face. The back and sides of her head were shaved, and she had bright, piercing blue eyes. She wore a variant of the typical Quincy uniform, with the jacket cut high to show off her midriff. Draped over her shoulders was a crimson cloak.

"Do continue," Kyoraku smiled, pleasantly. "It appears you're much more well prepared than I gave you all credit for." He winked. "And pretty, too."

"You're a smooth one," the woman sneered. "Especially considering who you're talking to."

"And who might that be?"

"Soldat Grand Mistress, and the personal aide of His Majesty Yhwach," she replied, smiling as she drew an ornate sword from her belt. "Sternritter C, Lenora Poultery."

Kyoraku whistled playfully between his teeth. "Mighty impressive. I am the Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen, and the Captain of the First Division, Shunsui Kyoraku. You may not have know this; I was only just appointed recently... Or is it that you did know, and that is why you're here?"

"That is why I'm here," Lenora grinned.

"Why so anxious to end things quickly?" Kyoraku asked. He still had not drawn his swords.

"His Majesty does not like long battles," Lenora explained, moving slowly. "So we were given only one order." The woman lunged forwards, sword raised. "This immediate extermination of all enemy forces!"

* * *

><p>The machines and sensors of the Research and Development Division were all going haywire. The barely-restored laboratory was in absolute pandemonium as the various scientists and Shinigami hurried to figure out exactly what was going on.<p>

"Shit! Nothing's coming up!" Hiyosu screamed, frantically slamming his fingers into the various buttons in front of him. "This isn't possible! How could the Seireitei just vanish?! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Calm down, Hiyosu!" Akon shouted back. "Are you really doubting all of our machines?!"

"That's my point!" the portly creature retorted. "If the Seireitei is really gone, why are all our machines still here?!"

Almost occurring on-cue, shadows leapt from the ground and eclipsed the various machines and computers. The individuals of the Division now found themselves in a cavernous hall, formed from white marble and ice. Pillars of various shapes and sizes surrounded them all.

"What the fuck is happening?!" Hiyosu screamed.

"I see you're confused..." said the man in the middle of the room.

Until he spoke, none of the Research and Development Institute members had even noticed him. He was tall and well-built, and was clad in a white military uniform. Pulled over his head was a hood, and covering the bottom half of his face was a white fabric mask. His hair was messy and brown; and his eyes bright blue.

"Who the...?" Akon gasped.

Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) ignored the statement, instead choosing to continue his explanation. "One thousand years ago, when the Shinigami all but exterminated our people, we fled. Fled to a location so obvious that you overlooked it. We took refuge in the Seireitei." He placed his hands into his pockets and began to pace. "Once inside, we found something that would give us near-limitless power. Reishi. Unlike in the human world, reishi is abundant in the Soul Society. In fact, the whole world is formed from it. By using this free-flowing reishi, my ancestors were able to create a space, within the shadows of the Seireitei. And thus we named it the Vandenreich; the Invisible Empire."

"Where the hell did you come from?!" Hiyosu screamed at the man.

"Were you not listening?" Basilisk asked, emotionless. "I did not come from anywhere. I've been here, since the beginning." Forming a short knife from reishi, the Sternritter leapt forwards and cut through the throats of the two Shinigami who stood closest to him. "I expected you to be more astute than this..."

"Well you can't blame them," chuckled a voice, from thin-air. "I mean creating a pocket dimension inside the shadows? The very notion defies logic!"

In the middle of the cavernous hall, a door began to open. Blinding light seared from the doorway, and into the open air.

"But then again..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi laughed, stepping out of the invisible room. "I quite enjoy defying logic myself!"

The crazed Captain was clad, head-to-toe in an outfit that could most closely be compared to the sun. White light spewed from his form, in a similar manner to the invisible room behind him.

"I had guessed, during your last invasion, that shadows played a part in your abilities," Mayuri explained, grinning. "And so I remodelled the entire inside of my laboratory to cast no shadows whatsoever."

Basilisk raised one eyebrow. "Very impressive."

Without another word, he leapt at the Captain. He moved so fast, that many of the gathered men weren't even able to register him. Lifting his reishi knife, he attempted to slash at Mayuri's face.

The Captain's sword shot up and parried the blow.

"Unlucky for you," Mayuri said, grinning. "I've programmed my sword to automatically parry any strike heading towards me, in a three foot radius of my body."

Mayuri swung his Zanpakuto up at the Sternritter. Basilisk hurriedly jumped back, to dodge. Throwing the knife at the Captain, he watched as that too was knocked aside.

"It may not work against projectiles, but if you insist on throwing the knife that slowly, it's child's play to block," Mayuri said, half-bored.

Basilisk formed a bow from reishi and began to launch arrows at Mayuri. They were much faster than his knife. Blue flashes lanced through the air.

Hurriedly dodging, Mayuri gritted his teeth. _He's good at adapting... he thought. No emotions clouding his judgement, either... Impressive._

Still launching arrows, Basilisk suddenly directed his aim away from Mayuri, and towards the disembodied door.

"Nemu, close the entrance to the lab!" Mayuri shouted, realising the Quincy's intent.

The door closed, cutting off the light source. The arrows aimed at the entrance to Mayuri's lab did not meet their mark, instead colliding against the far wall and exploding fiercely.

_He realised that my main advantage is my equipment... _Mayuri thought, dodging yet more arrows. _He's more dangerous than I thought._

"I was sent here, with the order to quickly eliminate Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Basilisk stated, continuing to launch projectiles at his opponent. "Or to, at best, destroy his equipment."

"It seems you've failed your mission, then," Mayuri taunted, beginning to close the distance between himself and the Sternritter.

"It would appear so," Basilisk replied, dispelling his bow. "So it appears a tactical retreat is my best option."

"This is true," Mayuri chuckled, raising his Zanpakuto. "But, do you think it will be that easy to get away from me?" His sword began to change shape. "Rip it off! Ashisogi Jizo!"

Basilisk ignored the sword being swung at his head. He held up two fingers and said: "Nii."

The Sternritter fell backwards, rapidly. His form slammed into the floor and began to compress. Soon, the man was nothing more than a two dimensional image on the floor.

"My name is Basilisk Jones," his image said. "My Schrift is D, for the Dimension. I'm able to move through dimensional space."

Mayuri stabbed the forked golden blade into Basilisk's form. It punctured the floor, but did little else.

"It's useless," Basilisk explained. "I'm invulnerable in this form. Of course, I can't attack or interact with the third dimension, either."

"Ah so it's like my liquid form," Mayuri chuckled, his smile widening. "Fascinating." His yellow eyes widened in interest. "And would I be correct in assuming that you're able to interfere with the first and fourth dimensions as well?"

"I don't believe I'm at liberty to say," Basilisk replied.

The image of Basilisk, against the floor began to slide away, leaving bare ground in its wake. The Sternritter slithered away from the fray, eventually coming to a door on the far wall and disappearing underneath it.

* * *

><p>"Don't give them an inch!"<p>

"Hold your ground! Hold your ground!"

An explosion ripped through the air, lifting at least a dozen unseated Shinigami off of their feet, and charring another four to death. Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) pulled an exasperated expression and scratched the side of her head.

"What's the point of holding your ground?" she sighed, lifting one eyebrow. "The Seireitei is gone. It doesn't matter if you left me through or not."

The black-haired girl snapped her fingers. White lightning sparked through the air, before a second explosion detonated, killing six more Shinigami.

"What's she doing?!"

"She said her letter is E!"

"Is her ability explosions?!"

Tomoko began to chuckle. Her emerald green eyes flicked over the Shinigami surrounding her. "Explosions?" She began to chuckle, sarcastically. "Do me a favour. You really think my power is something as simple as that?"

Her fingers snapped again. White lightning shot up from the ground and flickered over a nearby building. The entire white structure collapsed down onto a dozen Shinigami soldiers.

Several of the soldiers attempted to run, only to have their feet slip across ice that had spontaneously appeared beneath their feet. The streets of the Silbern were already littered with snow, but this was different. It was clear ice; like glass.

Tomoko only laughed to herself. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. Steam was rising from her bare legs into the cold air.

"Look at what we've got here," said a voice, from behind Tomoko. It was confident and forceful.

"It seems like a Quincy to me," said another voice; calm and oddly feminine.

The female Sternritter turned around and was confronted by two Shinigami. One was bald and had orange markings extending from the corners of his eyes, while the other had silky black hair, with yellow feathers decorating his head.

Yumichika Ayasegawa and Ikkaku Madarame, of the Eleventh Division stared down Tomoko. Their Zanpakutos were already released into their Shikai states.

"I hope you're aware that those are our guys that you're killing," Ikkaku said, taking a step forward and leaning Hozukimaru on his shoulder.

"And so what if I am?" Tomoko grinned, looking them up and down. "Are you two going to fight me?"

"Exactly," Ikkaku replied, returning the smile. "You look strong. It might even be fun!"

Yumichika, who had been astutely observing the scenery, suddenly interjected with a curious statement. "It's all very chaotic here..."

Tomoko narrowed her eyes and met the Fifth Seat's own deep purple orbs in a fierce lock. Completely oblivious to this, Ikkaku began to berate his comrade for interrupting his opportunity to look cool.

_This man... _she thought to herself. _Is he really that perceptive? He can't have figured out my Schrift already..._

"-I was ready to attack and gain us some ground, when you jump in and say something irrelevant!" Ikkaku continued, over Tomoko's thoughts.

"Ikkaku," Yumichika said, stoically. "It wouldn't have been good if you just leapt in to a fight with her." He squinted and tightened his grip on his Zanpakuto. "If my theory about her powers is right, she's more than likely one of the stronger enemy soldiers."

"And what do you think my powers are?" Tomoko asked, tilting her head to the side and cracking her neck.

Yumichika smiled. "I don't want to say, incase I'm wrong."

"You might be right."

Tomoko kicked off of the ground, moving away from the two men. As she did so, she formed a rifle from reishi, and began to fire projectiles at the pair.

Yumichika and Ikkaku dodged the shots.

"Long range fighter," Yumichika stated, not taking his eyes off of the enemy.

"You cover with Kido, while I get in close?" Ikkaku asked, with a grin.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p>As the battles began below, Yhwach looked down upon the Silbern from the roof of the ice palace. Beside him, stood Uryu Ishida.<p>

Turning towards the boy, a smile playing on his lips, Yhwach asked him: "Are you familiar with the Kaiser Gesang?"

Uryu glanced over at Yhwach. "Yes, Your Majesty. After nine hundred years, the sealed King will regain his pulse; after ninety his mind; and after nine years, he will regain the power that he had lost."

"I see you are lacking knowledge of the final line," Yhwach said, sweeping his gaze over the battlefields. "That the sealed King will regain the world he is to rule, after nine days."

He stepped forwards and broke into a wide grin.

"Prepare yourself for the sights you will behold... Thus begins the last nine days."


	24. Lord of War

**Chapter 24: Lord of War**

Asuma Godai (Sternritter L) moved fast through the streets of the Silbern. His sword moved at lightning speed, cutting down any and all Shinigami that he came across. Blood shone from the floor, catching the crimson light of the sunset.

Feet, clad in white leather shoes, danced across the snow-dusted floor. He moved gracefully, avoiding every drop of blood he encountered.

Pale white hair fluttered behind him as he moved, and his silver slit eyes were narrowed discerningly. Ever since the Silbern had materialised over the top of the Seireitei, he hadn't even encountered one Seated Shinigami.

_Are they preparing for an ambush...? No, that's impossible. Given the change in terrain, how would they have the time to pick a spot?_

All of a sudden, Asuma stopped dead in his tracks. His ears fluttered, either side of his face. Asuma's nostrils flared as he sniffed the air.

He could hear-

"Chains...?"

An object came whizzing through the air. As it moved, it caught the light in a silver flash; like metal. Asuma leapt to the side, just as the weapon moved within range.

No sooner had he dodged, the spinning object turned back on itself and headed, once again, for Asuma.

_It moves strange..._ he thought, ducking forwards, so that the thing sailed over his head. _Someone's controlling it, but how?_

Trailing behind the weapon was a thin black chain. The owner was pulling and tugging on the chain, directing the object's movements.

Reaching up, Asuma moved to grasp the chain passing over him. Weaving out of the way, the metal wrapped around his right wrist. Another loop of the chain came at him from the side, catching his left arm. Soon his hands were bound together.

"Looks like I've caught you," Shuhei Hisagi, Lieutenant of the Ninth Division, said. He dropped from the roof of a nearby building and held his double-bladed scythes to his sides.

"Shuhei Hisagi," Asuma muttered, recognising the Lieutenant. "I was warned about you."

"I'm flattered..." Shuhei said flatly. He tightened his grip on the poles of his Zanpakuto.

"Your Zanpakuto is unpredictable and dangerous..." Asuma continued. His arms strained against the chains. "And as I am now, I can't break free."

Shuhei lifted one of his weapons, the reflection of his scarred and tattoed face glinting across the metal. "Then this makes it easy for me... Though I've got to say, I don't feel comfortable doing it like this. Killing an enemy that can't fight back isn't my style."

"I was told about your strange sentiments as well," Asuma replied. He was only half looking at the Assistant Captain; one eye was kept on the sky, and the rapidly setting sun.

"I hope you don't hold this against me," Shuhei retorted, partially ignoring the Sternritter. He advanced forwards with his Zanpakuto at the ready.

"Dont worry..." the white-haired Quincy said, as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon. "I won't."

Asuma's biceps suddenly bulged. Straining against the sleeves of his white jacket, they threatened to rip the fabric. An explosive burst of strength rippled through Asuma's body, and within an instant, he had broken the chains binding him.

Shuhei's eyes opened wide as his adversary vanished.

Asuma reappeared in a flash of white; his pale and spectral appearance almost seeming to blend with the surroundings. His fist was raised, and was aimed at Shuhei's head.

The strike connected, sending the Lieutenant flying. Breaking through no fewer than four buildings, he finally came to a stop beneath a pile of white rubble and snow.

Trembling, he attempted to lift himself to his feet.

Again, the Sternritter appeared in front of him. Shuhei lifted Kazeshini in an attempt to counterattack. The strike grated along the side of Asuma's cheek, followed by a trail of sparks. It didn't even break the skin.

The attack did, however, create an opportunity for Shuhei to retreat. Leaping back, in order to gain some distance, he landed on top of a nearby building.

_Where did he get that speed boost from?_ he thought, attempting to ignore the pain in his face. _And that power... He shattered my cheek bone in one punch._

"You seem confused," Asuma said, looking up at the Shinigami. "Do you want me to explain my ability to you?"

"Wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage?" Shuhei gasped, attempting to catch his breath. Sweat was already dripping down his face, in spite of the cold air.

"Hardly," the Quincy replied. "There's nothing you can do about it, anyway."

"And why's that?"

Asuma lifted one finger and pointed at the sky. "Look up... And tell me what you see."

Shuhei's mind kicked into overdrive as he attempted to figure out what the man was referring to. He rambled off everything he laid eyes on in quick succession. "The sky, clouds, stars-"

"What else?"

Shuhei gasped. "The moon..."

"Exactly," the Sternritter said. "I draw power from the moon. I am Sternritter L, Asuma Godai: The Lunar." He took a few steps towards the building on which Shuhei stood upon. "And with the moon full, like it is, I'm able to reach my strongest."

Asuma vanished and appeared behind Shuhei.

"It may take me a bit of time to absorb the necessary energy," he said, prompting Shuhei to turn around as strike out at him. He blocked with his forearm and continued. "But at the moment, you'll be dead in... Five minutes?"

* * *

><p>Momo Hinamori, Lieutenant of the Fifth Division raised her Zanpakuto to block the strike aimed at her. Her blade grated against the weapon of her opponent, sending sparks flickering through the air.<p>

Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) grinned wildly and forced the Shinigami Lieutenant back. Lifted from the floor, Momo flew through the air and landed atop a nearby building.

Chuckling slightly, Jamina slung her weapon over one shoulder. She wielded a huge hypodermic needle as long as she was tall.

"This is fun, isn't it?" the pink-haired Quincy grinned.

_Fun?_ Momo thought. _This isn't fun... This is a slaughter._

Momo allowed her eyes to briefly flick over the floor surrounding the Sternritter. Scattered around were the bodies of at least two dozen unseated Soul Reapers. Blood pooled on the floor and lapped at the sides of Jamina's shoes.

Jamina kicked off of the ground so hard that the street cracked underfoot. The giant syringe swung through the air in a slashing motion towards the Vice Captain. As blade and medical instrument clashed once again, Jamina's deep red eyes twisted in amusement and her smile widened.

The two girls engaged in a flurry of swipes and strokes before locking blades once again.

"You're pretty fast," Jamina said, mildly impressed.

Momo ignored the statement. "Snap! Tobiume!" Several hinged appendages sprung up along the length of her blade. An explosion of fire tore through the air, flinging the Sternritter backwards.

Jamina flipped backwards landed on the street. "Wow, that was-" Her sentence was cut short, as her foot found a patch of ice. Slipping on the frozen water, Jamina cried out and fell face first into the snow.

The Shinimagi Lieutenant loosened her guard and broke into a dumbfounded expression. She watched the Sternritter cry out and begin to blush furiously.

Momo blinked twice. "Did... That just happen?"

* * *

><p>Marechiyo Omaeda (Lieutenant of Squad Two) moved slowly. He was in his family home when the Silbern had overtaken the Seireitei. After making sure that his sister was safe, he had ventured forth into the maze of snowy white streets.<p>

_Why did this have to happen when Captain Sui-Feng was away training... I'm not suited to this kind of situation!_

The rotund Lieutenant took a deep breath and calmed himself. He remembered the last invasion. Other than the Head Captain, his Captain was the only one that managed to kill an enemy soldier.

_That means I must be able to win... I mean, I've had the same training..._

The soles of his shoes crunched against the snow, sinking down. Omaeda made as little noise as was humanly possible. Despite his size, his training in the Stealth Force was evident.

It was a shame that his enemy was more than perceptive enough to discover him.

Balder Blitzkrieg (Sternritter W) was laying atop a building several streets over. Extending over the edge of the roof was the barrel of a gun. Mounted on the top was a large scope. Balder held the white reishi weapon and aimed slowly at the Assistant Captain.

The Sternritter took a deep breath. The small shot of reishi tore through the air and ripped through Omaeda's ear. Blood flew into the air and spattered into the snow.

Omaeda's hand lurched upwards and clasped his wound. Blood pooled in his palm and began to seep through his fingers. He let out a hoarse cry of pain.

Another electric blue shot of reishi cut through the air again, blasting off two of the Lieutenant's fingers.

As Omaeda clasped his injured had, a third projectile of spirit energy hit him in the left leg, taking out his kneecap. His large form crashed to the floor, his leg giving way under his own weight.

Balder appeared in fromt of the downed Lieutenant, having dispersed his reishi gun. The light of the moon shone from his dark skin. He wore a version of the Sternritter uniform, decorated with white camouflage patterns.

The Sternritter broke into a smug grin. "That looks like it hurts a lot."

Realising that in his pain he had forgotten to mind his surroundings, Omaeda attempted to run. Balder, however, had other plans. Stomping down, he trapped Omaeda's injured leg beneath his large military boot.

"Now you wouldn't be trying t' run away, would'ya?" he chuckled.

Omaeda glared up at him, peering through the bloodspatter across the side of his face. The Lieutenant gritted his teeth; his hand nervously moving over the floor in an attempt to locate his dropped Zanpakuto.

"Desert Eagle," Balder muttered. A handgun materialised in his hand. With no hesitation whatsoever, the towering Quincy shot a bulled through Omaeda's other hand. "Reaching for your Zanpakuto? Not smart. You keep this up and you're gonna die nice and slow. Tell me where your Captain is an' I'll make it quick."

"You think I'm the kind of person that would sell out my Captain?" Omaeda said, forcefully.

Balder shot him through the foot. "Second chance." He cocked his head to the side and scratched at his goatee beard. "After this, you got one more."

"You... Didn't let me finish..." Omaeda ground out from between his teeth. "You think I'm the kind of person that would sell out my Captain? You're right; I am. I would tell you if I knew... But I don't know." He drew air in through his teeth. "She didn't tell me where she went."

The Sternritter squinted his eyes. "Second chance gone." He put a reishi bullet in the Lieutenant's uninjured kneecap. "One more."

"I'm telling you I don't know!" Omaeda shouted, in pain.

"Three strikes," Balder said. The gun in his hand vanished. "M67 Frag." Replacing the gun, a hand grenade appeared in his hand. Balder pulled the pin and dropped it on the floor. "You're out."

As the Quincy began to retreat, Omaeda hurriedly crouched down and attempted to pick up the grenade. The device fumbled and slipped through his injured and bloody hands.

Terror coursed through his veins, only fuelling his panicked mistakes.

_I'm going to die..._

Something suddenly rushed past Omaeda at high speed. Wind tore through the street and the grenade was scooped from his broken hands.

Balder half turned back as he sensed the rapidly approaching Reiatsu. He moved far too slow to counter the blow that struck him across the face. Lifted up into the air, by the force, his eyes placed a small object following his path of movement. His own grenade.

"Uriel!" Balder shouted, suddenly.

Wings of light, in the shape of a fighter jet, formed from Reishi appeared on his back. Balder accelerated, just about managing to escape the blast radius.

Touching down, further down the street, Balder dispersed his wings and halo. Removing his cloak, he flung his cloak from his body and narrowed his eyes discerningly.

"That must be what Urahara called Vollständig," Captain Sui-Feng said, landing on the ground several feet away from him. "For an instant your speed and Reiatsu both shot up."

"Stoner AR-15! HK416 Assault rifle!" Balder shouted, summoning two machine guns into his hands. The huge man began to launch round after round of luminous blue ammunition at the female Captain.

Leaping out of the way, Sui-Feng dodged the onslaught of bullets and diving around a corner. Kicking off from the ground, she took to the air. Weaving out of the way of the shots, a typhoon whipped around her body, propelling her at high speed.

As Balder unloaded magazine after magazine at the Shinigami Captain, he eyed her airborne form. She was swathed in a cyclone of air, launching her through the sky.

"What is that...?" he muttered to himself. "It's not her Bankai, I know that much..."

"I see you're confused," Sui-Feng laughed, continuing to dart through the sky. "Haven't you heard of Shunko?"

"Mixing Kido with Hakuda?" Balder retorted. "It was in my Daten. But yours is incomplete!"

"Was incomplete," she corrected. "Since the battle with Aizen, I've been perfecting it. Your last invasion was just the push I needed!" Rocketing towards Balder, the whirlwind behind her whipped up a storm. "My Shunko is wind-based! Once it's activated, it rotates infinitely, expending next to none of my Reiatsu."

Sui-Feng closed the distance between the two of them in less than half a second. Rearing up her right shoulder, she lifted her fist.

"Mukyuu Shunko!"

Balder dissipated his machine guns and crossed his arms to block. The Captain's fist slammed into his forearm and flung him backwards. Flung back by the sheer force, the Sternritter felt his ulna crack.

Tumbling head over heels, he ploughed through several buildings before being shrouded in a cloud of dust.

Sui-Feng touched down on the ground; her Shunko still active atop the back of her shoulders. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, at her subordinate, she began to walk towards Omaeda.

"Pick yourself up..." she said, slowly. "You need to find a member of the Fourth Division and heal. You're going to be needed in the battles ahead."

"Y... Yes sir..." Omaeda said, attempting to shift his position so that he could return to his feet.

_She's amazing..._ he thought, watching his Captain's graceful, yet strong movements. _She's killed two Sternritter already. And she's perfected her Shunko..._

"AGM-114 Hellfire missiles!" suddenly shouted a deep, booming voice.

Suddenly appearing in the sky of the Silbern, three missiles screamed towards the Captain. The smell of burning fuel filled the air and smoke shot from the tail ends of the artillery.

Sui-Feng kicked off from the ground a split second before the rockets landed. Colliding with the ground, they detonated violently, levelling several buildings and tearing up the street.

"AIM-120 AMRAAM!"

Two more rockets blasted through the skies of the Silbern at the airborne Captain. Ducking and dodging, the whirlwind of Sui-Feng's Shunko propelled her away from the fire of the previous explosions and out of the path of the new rockets.

However, far from missing, the missiles turned midair and homed in on the Captain.

"Tch..." she tutted between her teeth, weaving and spiralling out of the way. _So they follow me wherever I go?_

While Sui-Feng was busy avoiding the missiles, she paid little mind to the Sternritter. Too late did she realise the beacon of light erupting from the ground.

Once again, Balder was swathed in white light. Fighter jet wings glowed ominously from his back and a halo in the shape of a Quincy Zeichen hovered atop his bald head. This time, however, numerous belts of glowing blue bullets covered his form. His arms bore numerous small rockets hovering around his wrists.

"**Uriel; Soldier of God.**"

Utilising the tracking missiles as a distraction, the Sternritter began to bombard the Shinigami Captain with the numerous smaller rockets affixed to his wrists.

Explosions cracked through the night and shockwaves rippled into buildings. All the while, Balder began to back away from the scene, still launching artillery.

"Mukyuu Shunko?!" he laughed. "If this is all there is to it, I'm severely disappointed! I've already analysed your technique! You're fast, yes, but if you can't get in range it's useless!"

_He's backing away,_ Sui-Feng thought to herself. _I know from experience that he's slow and not very mobile. That must be his strategy. Trap me in a barrage of explosions and wear me down._

She began to drop to the floor.

_I'll come at him from below. I'm faster if my feet can gain traction on the ground; I'll close the distance before those rockets can hit me._

Balder broke into a grin. "Land mines!"

Sui-Feng's foot came into contact with something hard and metallic. No sooner had she realised this, the object exploded violently.

The left leg of her Shihakusho was burnt away by the blast, leaving her toned flesh bare to the elements. She was scorched up the skin of her calf.

During the brief interval of the mine explosion, two small rockets managed to catch up to her and detonate against her back. While the cyclone was able to diffuse some of the damage, she was still flung through the air like a rag doll.

"Struggle all you want," Balder chuckled, continuing to pepper the scenery with blasts. "If you can't get in close, you can't use your Shunko, or your Death in Two Steps!"

As one of the AMRAAMs exploded, a massive shockwave rippled towards him.

"I can create any weapon I want, infinitely, as long as I can imagine it!" He began to laugh. "I'm Balder Blitzkrieg! The Warlord!"


	25. Sword

**Chapter 25: Sword (卍解)**

Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C)'s blade grated against an unseen force. Echoes of reishi rebounded back upon her and forced her attack back. A faint green light flickered through the air in a wide sheet, between herself and the Head Captain.

"A barrier...?" she muttered to herself.

"And a strong one at that!" Shunsui Kyoraku grinned. "Kido is Nanao-chan here's specialty." He cooed and leaned in close to his Lieutenant, pursing his lips.

Ignoring her superior, Nanao Ise maintained a flat expression behind her frameless glasses. "After your last invasion, I was able to study traces of Quincy Reiatsu. From those samples, I was able to devise a defensive Kido, specifically designed to counter Quincys."

"Impressive," Lenora said, taking a step back and dispersing her blade. "But I have a question." Her full red lips twisted into a smile, and her blue eyes glittered. "Did you teach this technique to any of your fellow Soul Reapers?"

No sooner had she said this, the numerous explosions of Balder's onslaught lit up the night horizon. Light caught Kyoraku's back and threw shadow across Lenora.

The Soldat Grand Mistress chuckled. "It appears you didn't."

* * *

><p>Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) bobbed and weaved out of the way of Ikkaku's numerous thrusts and swipes.<p>

_That girly man over there is dangerous,_ she thought, eyeing Yumichika through an emeral green eye. _The bald one is strong, but not too bright. I can deal with that... But the tactical mind on this guy._

Green light from Kido flashed through the air at Tomoko's head. Hurriedly ducking, she avoided the shot, but moved into the path of an upward swing from Ikkaku.

_Damn him!_

Her blood vessels on her face glowed blue, just as the spear tip caught her across the nose. Sparks flew from the back of the blade.

_Fighting them both at the same time was a mistake. One keeps me distracted while the other exploits any opening. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they were Captain-class. The way they work together is that good... I don't even have a chance to fight back. Without using Blut Arterie, my attacks aren't strong enough to do serious damage, but if I stop using Blut Vene they'll actually be able to hurt me._

Tomoko had long since discarded her reishi rifle. If she wasn't able to gain some distance, using it would have been pointless.

Snapping her fingers, white lightning flickered up from her hand, and a small explosion cracked through the air, right in front of Ikkaku's face. While not strong enough to injure him, it was enough to get him to back off somewhat.

The Sternritter felt heat bubble through her abdomen. _Shit... If I can't concentrate, my Schrift is too difficult to control. And the more I use it, the more likely I am to overheat._

Ikkaku moved back in to take another slash at her.

On impulse, Tomoko dispersed Blut Vene and switched her reishi stream to the offensive. Thrusting her hand out, she allowed the tip of the weapon to pierce through her palm. Clenching her fist down, she grasped the bloody pole and slammed her free fist into the Third Seat's face.

Flung backwards by the force of the punch, Ikkaku crashed through a nearby building. Stunned by the sudden attack, he had released his grip on Hozukimaru, allowing Tomoko to keep hold of it.

Tomoko broke into a wide grin. Wrenching the bloody weapon from her hand, the Sternritter turned her attention towards Yumichika and threw it at him, like a javelin.

Narrowly dodging, Yumichika lifted his head and looked at his adversary. Her fighting style had completely changed.

"Ive been too focussed on self-preservation," Tomoko said, talking to the Fifth Seat. "But I realised that if I kept that up, I would still end up loosing... So I might as well have a bit of fun. Live up to my Schrift." She reached inside her jacket pocket and pulled out a silver medallion the size of her fist. "We were ordered to use the stolen Bankais to kill their previous owners... I can still do that. I'm just going to use it to kill you first!"

"Oh no..." Yumichika whispered.

"Bankai!" Tomoko grinned. "Kokujou Tengen Myou!"

Rising from the rooftop behind the slight girl, an enormous samurai, at least twelve stories tall, swung an equally huge blade into a tight offensive stance. Tomoko swung one fist down, towards Yumichika. Copying her movement perfectly, the giant's massive sword slammed into the rubble-strewn ground.

Yumichika barely dodged. Launching yet more Kido up at the Sternritter, he gritted his teeth. He was not prepared to fight against a Bankai. Even less so, the sheer power of Captain Komamura's.

The giant sword swept through the night, blocking the luminous blasts, before taking another swing at the effeminate man. Crushing the ground where the Fifth Seat once stood, rubble leapt into the air.

"Where are your tactics from before?" Tomoko laughed, continuing her onslaught.

Ikkaku suddenly appeared to her left. Due to her focus on Yumichika, Tomoko had all but forgotten the Third Seat.

"You knocked out three of my teeth!" he shouted, grinning. "I thought I'd return the favour!"

Ikkaku struck out with his right fist, catching the girl full in the face as she turned to face him. Her head shot back, her neck craning. Behind her, the giant copied her motion seamlessly. Still moving back, the samurai's helmet cracked.

Retaliating with her own right hook, Tomoko's fist slammed into Ikkaku's left arm, sending him flying once more. Luckily, the simultaneous punch of the Bankai only found air.

Bouncing once, Ikkaku rolled and returned to his feet. His legs trembled unsteadily beneath him.

"Ikkaku, you're a genius!" Yumichika said, appearing next to his best friend. In his left hand, he held Hozukimaru; which he offered back to Ikkaku.

Taking back his Zanpakuto, Ikkaku broke into a smug expression. "Of course I am!" He stopped for several seconds and lifted one eyebrow. "How am I a genius again...?"

"Your punch cracked the giant's visor," Yumichika explained.

Ikkaku blinked twice and stared at his friend, confused.

Yumichika groaned. "When you hit her, the giant was damaged as well."

The pair suddenly leapt in opposite directions, avoiding a downward slash from the stolen Bankai. Dust and fragments of rock blew into the air.

"That means if we attack the Bankai-!" Yumichika shouted, over the attack.

"She's going to feel it as well!" Ikkaku completed, finally realising the plan. He broke into a psychotic grin.

They continued to dodge slashes from the humongous sword, and exchanged understanding glances.

Yumichika's feathery black hair was whipping around his face as he moved. "The one main disadvantage this Bankai has is how slow it is!" he called out. "Exploit that! All we need is one clean shot! She can't focus on two of us at once; move to different sides, and whoever she ignores, attack from the blind spot!"

"I can hear every word you're saying," Tomoko laughed, directing the Bankai to take another swipe at the men. "That won't work on me!"

Jumping over the attack, the two men began to run in separate directions. Taking up positions either side of the Sternritter, they began to dip in and slash at the girl. Blocking the attacks with her Blut-enhanced arms, Tomoko kept her eyes on both Shinigami, as closely as she could. Every so often, she would attack with the giant, alternating between the pair, as her target.

Soon, the female Quincy had gotten into a rhythm. Keeping up her defense, she waited for the perfect time to strike.

_The prettyboy is slightly slower than baldy over there,_ she thought. _And his footwork lags when he retreats. I'll wait for him to attack, then retaliate in the instant he backs off._

Yumichika leapt in and slashed at her with the multiple blades of Fujikujaku. Tomoko blocked the attack with her left forearm and readied her right hand. Just as the Fifth Seat stepped back, she struck out with the sword of the giant.

Leaping over the blade, Yumichika landed on the back of the behemoth's hand and began to run up its arm.

Tomoko smirked and swung her left hand over the top of her right arm in a swatting motion. The palm of the giant came to meet Yumichika full-force, slamming into his side and catapulting him through the night sky.

"Gotcha," she chuckled.

"Thanks Yumichika," Ikkaku said. "Good distraction."

Tomoko whirled around to see the Third Seat airborne. His spear was raised and pointed ahead of him. Thrusting out, the tip of his Zanpakuto plunged into the visor of the giant.

Screaming, Tomoko fell back and clasped her face. Blood poured down her cheek, as her left eye was ruptured. "YOU FUCKER!"

* * *

><p>"Looks like Tomoko's having a hard time..." Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) said, cupping his chin in his hands. He was sat on the edge of a building, with his elbows propped up on his knees. Beneath him, his feet were dangling into the air.<p>

In the distance, in spite of the darkness, he could see the gigantic form of Tomoko's stolen Bankai.

"You want to go and help her?" Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) asked, irritated. He turned and looked down his comrade from his vantage point atop a spire. The grey-haired man was dangling from the point of the tower, while his left hand held onto a weather vane, and his feet were planted into the wall.

"She's nice enough," Onmar muttered. "Keeps me warm when I ask her to... But do I really want to put myself in danger just for that?"

"You're such an asshole," Sylvanus sighed, dropping down onto the roof. "You're the last one who should be complaining about putting yourself in danger."

"Well then why don't you go?" Onmar muttered.

"Because I am supposed to be on lookout duty," came the irritated reply. "Incase anyone outside of the Seireitei tries to get in and interfere." Sylvanus glanced over at Tomoko's battlefield, as he felt out the situation. Her Reiatsu was distorted and unstable. She was probably injured. "But it seems... That since you couldn't give less of a shit about your comrades, I'm going to have to help her. I don't want to see any of my friends die."

"Honourable," Onmar said, glancing up through his lime green eyes at Sylvanus, who was now stood on the edge of the building.

"No," he replied. "Not honourable. Decent."

Sylvanus reached up and toyed with the silver necklace that he always wore. Gripping one of the seven points of the necklace between his finger and thumb, he snapped it off.

All of a sudden, fierce wind ripped through the air around Sylvanus. Two crossed rings of circulating air whipped around his body, between his shoulders and his hips. Kicking off from the ground, he took to the air and screamed towards Tomoko's battlefield.

* * *

><p>Rōjūrō "Rose" Ōtoribashi held a tight grip on his Zanpakuto and dodged the repeated arrows shot by his opponent.<p>

Legion Longstride (Sternritter J) was laughing to himself as he launched projectiles at the Captain. "Is that all you have? I think you're even slower than you were last time we fought."

In spite of his goading and gloating, Legion's hand was shaking. Spasms were shooting up his whole arm.

Raising one hand, the elderly Quincy snapped his fingers.

White flashed through Rose's vision. Soon, he was confronted by overwhelming heat.

Rose had no idea what was going on. As opposed to the white scenery of the Quincy city, he was surrounded by a never ending desert, extending as far as the eye could see in all directions. Waves of heat shimmered through the air, distorting the Captain's vision. Sweat dripped from every pore and soaked into his Shihakusho. It felt like his lungs were on fire.

"Like it?" Legion smirked, sweeping his arm around in a wide arc. His tattered and torn cloak billowed behind him. "This is a personal favourite of mine. The Sahara Desert."

"What are you...?" Rose gasped, fighting for breath.

"Welcome to my memories," the Sternritter continued. "This was... What... 1984?" He grinned, his yellowed teeth coming into view. "That fatigue you're feeling is what I felt when I traversed this desert. My Schrift is J for The Journey. You will experience my lifetime of travelling in mere minutes."

The surroundings changed again. Humid air met the Captain full force. Around him, numerous trees and fauna sprang up from the ground. The hum of insect wings filled the air.

Legion launched a series of arrows at Rose. Ducking and dodging, the Shinigami gasped for air. One shot caught him across the left arm.

"You're handling the rainforest better than I'd thought you would," Legion chuckled. He failed to notice his arm spasming more aggressively. His left cheek began to twitch. "But I think the time for games is over..."

Stuffing his hand inside his tattered uniform, Legion pulled out a scuffed silver medallion. Light glinted from it, throwing strange shapes across his hand.

"We were ordered to finish you off with your own Bankais," he explained, his sickly yellow eyes glowing. "I think it's rather fitting... Bankai: Kinshara Butōdan."

Silver wires shot into the air, around the Quincy, spiralling and contorting until settling into the shape of a pair of gigantic floating hands; one holding a conductor's baton. All around Legion, more wire whipped up and formed into twelve humanoid shapes, all bearing metallic flower petals for faces.

Music filled the air.

Rose just about realised what was happening. Hurriedly pulling his hands up either side of his head, he readied himself so that he could rupture his own eardrums. If the Quincy utilised his Bankai's ability of tangible illusions on top of the effects of his Schrift, he would be finished.

However, the inevitable attack from his stolen Bankai never came to be.

Legion Longstride let out a scream so bloodcurdling that it chilled Rose to his very core. All around him, the environment began to melt, revealing the white buildings of the Silbern. The wire puppets of the Bankai's dance troupe collapsed and unravelled.

Clawing at his throat, the Sternritter gasped for air. Blood spewed from his nose and eyes, pouring down his face. Bloody foam frothed up in the corners of his mouth and clung to his long matted beard. Veins rose to the surface all over his body and turned black.

Rose, still struggling to breathe and sweating profusely, broke into a confused expression.

Rot was starting to spread over the Legion's skin. It looked as if he was beginning to decompose, while still alive.

"WHAT...! IS THIS?!" Legion screamed, his legs giving way beneath him. Slamming into the floor, he began to writhe and thrash. "It... Feels like... HOLLOW POISONING!"

Rose took a step forwards and looked down at his sword. He broke into a smile. "Welcome back, Kinshara." Looking at the dying Quincy, the Captain came to a realisation. "It looks like my Bankai was too much for you to handle." He brought his hand up to his face and pulled it down. Manifesting over his face, a pure white hollow mask eclipsed his features. "I guess no-one told you that I was part hollow."

Legion's eyes opened so wide they formed perfect circles, before rolling back in his head.

Rose lifted his blade and peered through the eye holes of his mask. "Shame on you for not doing your homework."

Blood flew into the air.

* * *

><p>Ohetsu Nimaya repeated slammed his forging hammer into the white hot metal of the sword. He had been busy crafting the Asauchi into Ichigo's new blade for well over an hour.<p>

"Did'ya notice it, Ichigo-chan~?" Nimaya asked the orange-haired boy, without taking his eyes off of the glowing metal in front of him. "The Asauchi turned snow white when ya' touched it... Jus' like yer inner Hollow."

Ichigo, who had been stood watching, opened his eyes wide.

"Ya' dig it now?" Nimaya continued. "This sexy bastard here is ya' inner Hollow. I'm makin' him this way t' draw out yer true Zanpakuto."

"Then..."

"Bingo, Ichigo-chan." Nimaya broke into a strangely stoic expression. "Yer inner Hollow is ya' Zanpakuto. When the Hollow Aizen made infected ya' mother, and was passed to ya' it merged with ya' Shinigami powers." He eyes Ichigo. "I'm sure ya' figured it out now. That other dude in there is fakin' the funk. This whole time, he's been pretending t' be Zangetsu."

Ichigo's stomach twisted into a knot. His world inverted and he soon found himself stood on the side of a skyscraper, staring off into a blue expanse.

Hovering in front of him, clad in his usual tattered black cloak, was Zangetsu.

**"Ichigo-chan," **Nimaya's disembodied voice said. **"Who's that?"**

"What are you talking about?" he retorted. "That's Zan-"

**"That ain't Zangetsu,"** Nimaya interjected.** "Come on. Ya' must have connected the dots by now. Don't he look awfully familiar? Like a certain someone that's turned the Soul Society upside down?"**

Ichigo's eyes widened.

**"That there..." **Nimaya said. **"Is Yhwach, as he was a thousand years ago."**


	26. The Fundamental Virulence

**Chapter 26: The Fundamental Virulence**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was staring intently at one of the numerous monitors that inhabited his (literally) glowing beacon of science.

The spy bacteria that he had infected all of the members of the Gotei Thirteen with we're practically paying for themselves. Over the course of the invasion, he had gathered data of immeasurable worth. Most notably was that of the fight between Captain Ōtoribashi and Legion Longstride.

"Now that is interesting..." he chuckled, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

**"And what might that be?"** asked a disembodied voice.

"The manner of which the Sternritter was defeated," Mayuri replied. "It may hold a clue as to how the Bankais could be re-" He stopped short, when he realised just who's voice he was talking to.

**"Splendid!"** exclaimed Kisuke Urahara's voice. **"If not a bit slow. After analysing the medallion I retrieved following Kurosaki-Kun's battle, and interrogating my Sternritter captive, I've already come up with a method to regain the Bankai!" **His voice was musical and lighthearted.

"Wow, Kisuke Urahara is really amazing..." whispered a nearby member of the Research and Development institute, as he overheard the conversation. He was soon hurriedly shushed by his comrades, in hopes that the Captain had not heard him.

Mayuri ignored his statement. "How are you doing that?" he asked, his yellow eyes moving curiously.

**"Oh! I implanted a communications device in your ear a while back! I forget when or how, but regardless, it's pretty useful, isn't it?"**

"How dare you," Mayuri said in response. "Implanting something of this nature without my permission." Lifting his finger, he placed it over the side of his luminescent headdress.

**"Wait, don't cut it off!"** Urahara's voice cried. **"I've got important information about the enemy!"**

"Goodbye." Mayuri pulled a disinterested expression as he plunged his finger through his headdress and into his ear.

**"No! Wait! St-!"**

"Got youuuu~!" Urahara popped out of a small Senkaimon, behind the Twelfth Division Captain. "I was waiting in the Dangai for the perfect moment to pop out!"

Mayuri was so outraged that his expression looped right back around to completely dumbfounded.

Urahara stepped out of the Dangai portal and snapped the cell phone that he held in his hand closed. Beneath the shadow cast by his hat, he broke into a serious expression. "But back to more urgent matters... I know how we can prevent the theft of Bankais, and how to return those that were stolen." He glanced over his shoulder at the portal. "And I've brought with me some reinforcements."

* * *

><p>Yumichika Ayasegawa groaned in pain. The force that the Bankai had struck him with was nothing to be sniffed at. He regretted putting himself out in the open, to be used as bait.<p>

His entire right arm had been crushed, the bones inside little more than chips and fragments. Four of his ribs were broken; two of which were pressing uncomfortably into his right lung. The entire right hand side of his Shihakusho was soaked in blood.

He couldn't even hold his Zanpakuto anymore.

_At least... Ikkaku managed to get her,_ he thought. _Now all I need to do is stay under the radar, until I find a member of Squad Four to heal me._

"Look at what we have here," said a young, girlish voice.

Yumichika felt his heart lurch. If the voice belonged to an enemy, given the state he was in, he would be finished.

Aya Herz (Sternritter S) walked around the corner of a nearby building. The steel heels of her shoes tapped rhythmically against the ground. Following closely behind her, was Knight.

_No way...! Two of them?!_

"I couldn't be bothered to go out and look for someone to fight," Aya said, her glossy black hair fluttering behind her as she walked. "So I just decided to sit back... And what do you know, a Soul Reaper falls right into my lap."

"Young Miss," Knight said, tilting his helmet-clad head down towards her. "This man is far too badly injured to be fought fairly."

"Then I won't fight him," Aya sighed. "I'll just put him out of his misery." Her deep purple eyes narrowed. "But first..."

Yumichika's head fell back. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his breathi grew more and more ragged. He knew that he would not be able to fight back, in the state that he was in. Closing his eyes, he resigned himself to death.

"What's your favourite colour?" Aya asked, cheerfully. She tilted her head to the side and smiled.

Opening one eye, Yumichika's mouth hung open in dismay.

Aya walked closer and crouched down in the crater, in front of him. Her white miniskirt rose up her thighs and her chin tucked down inside the hem of her light blue turtleneck, that she wore under her white military jacket. Smiling slightly, she leaned in towards the crippled Shinigami. "What. Is. Your. Favourite. Colour?" she asked, playfully. Every word was spoken individually, and emphasised.

Yumichika began to stammer. He knew that the question's answer would not result in something as trivial as he would usually expect. His voice caught in his throat as he began to hurriedly debate with himself over what he should answer. His other eye opened, so that he was staring wide-eyed at the girl.

Aya suddenly stopped leaning towards him and broke into a slight smile. Her eyes began to sparkle. "You have really pretty eyes."

"W-wisteria," Yumichika suddenly blurted out.

"A shade of purple!" Aya exclaimed, beaming. "I love purple!" She lifted one hand and pointed at her face. "Like my eyes. See?" She turned her gloved finger towards the Shinigami. "And yours! We match!"

Yumichika blinked and stared at the young girl, unable to understand what was happening.

"I did want to impress some of the others, by killing a Seated Officer," she explained, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side, sighing. "But you have good taste. I can't kill someone who likes the same things as me! That's too cruel."

The Fifth Seat was at a loss for words.

Aya stood back up and turned back towards her armour-clad escort. "Make sure you stay out of sight. I heard someone say that Kirmie was lurking around west of here, so if I were you, I'd go east."

The young girl and the armoured giant disappeared around the street corner they had come from. Yumichika was left laying in the crater, thanking the Soul King for his good luck.

Knight looked down at the girl through the visor of his helmet. "That was very honourable of you, Miss Herz."

"Thanks," she replied, looking up at him. Aya pulled an uncertain expression. "You're going to go now, aren't you?"

Knight had been acting strange ever since the second invasion had begun. He had been listless and distracted; as if his mind were elsewhere.

"I'm sorry, Miss," Knight said, solemnly. "But His Majesty has ordered us to dispatch the enemy as quickly as possible... Up until now, I have stayed by your side and protected you, in the name of chivalry, however... I cannot in good conscience engage the enemy with you at my side. Such an action would put you in danger." He placed his hand on the young girl's shoulder, gently. "So the safest option is to leave you in a safe area."

Aya tucked in her bottom lip and looked up at Knight. "Okay..." she sighed. "Just be back soon, okay. If... If you're gone too long, I'm going to worry."

"Of course m'lady," Knight said, bowing.

Smiling, Aya curtsied.

As she returned to her standing position, Knight turned and began to walk into the depths of the Silbern. Aya put her hands into the pockets of her jacket. She felt her finger touch smooth fabric. Her body jolted as she came to a sudden realisation.

Running after Knight, Aya called for him to stop. Once she had caught up to him, she presented the giant with her pocket handkerchief. "Sir Knight," she smiled. "I pray that you take this favour as a token of my esteem."

If Aya could have seen behind her escort's helmet, he would have been smiling. Knight bent down and took the handkerchief. "It would be an honour, Miss Herz."

* * *

><p>"Pinpoint the locations of all Captains and Vice Captains!" Akon shouted, over his shoulder at the other members of the Research and Development Division. "Hiyosu, set up a Tenteikura!" He was tapping hurriedly against the glowing white keyboard in front of him.<p>

"On it!" Hiyosu replied, beginning to cast the Kido.

"Everyone else!" Akon continued. "Work on releasing all of the remaining modified bugs! Map out the environment!"

Behind them all, Urahara was busy explaining his new invention to Mayuri.

"Shineiyaku," he said, opening a leather bag that he had withdrawn from his cloak. Inside the pouch were at least two dozen black pills, resembling hard candy. "With these, we can completely prevent the theft of Bankais, as well as return the Bankais that have already been stolen."

"So what, pray tell, is your hypothesis?" Mayuri asked, attempting to conceal his disgust for the man in front of him.

"I had an inkling about the method of prevention when I first began my interrogation of Mr DaVinci," Urahara explained. "Through him, I learned that our enemy had already invaded and overtaken Hueco Mundo. And yet, when I ventured there to confirm this news, I discovered a very strange thing. Not a single one of the Arrancar had their Resurreccion stolen." His eyes narrowed. "As I'm sure you're aware, the nature of the Resurreccion makes it essentially the same as a Bankai. So why hadn't they been taken? It wasn't that they had no interest in Arrancar. Rather the opposite; they drafted many of them into their army to use as soldiers... So that leaves two reasons open, as to why the Resurreccion were not stolen."

"Either they couldn't steal them, or it would be detrimental to do so," Mayuri said, completing Urahara's train of thought.

"Precisely." Urahara broke into a grin. "And thanks to Captain Ōtoribashi, we have the final piece of the puzzle."

"All soldiers of Lieutenant rank and up have been pinpointed inside and outside of the Seireitei!" Akon called over his shoulder.

"Excellent," Urahara said, eyeing the bag of pills in his hand.

* * *

><p>Sui-Feng cried out in pain as an explosion to her left shattered her elbow.<p>

Most of her Shihakusho had been burnt from her body, and the blood that spewed from her open wounds was dried into her skin; superheated by the numerous blasts that assaulted her. The left side of her face was so swollen and charred that her eye was closed. The skin of her back was mottled and scorched, as was her exposed right leg.

Balder maintained his distance, continuously launching artillery at the Captain. Light danced across his dark skin, thrown forth by the great blaze his weaponry had set upon the buildings.

_I need to get a clean hit on him!_ Sui-Feng thought, as she was flung around like a rag doll by the explosions. _I'm getting blown to death here... If only I could use my Bankai!_

**_Ahem..._** suddenly echoed a voice inside her head. **_Greetings to all Captains of the Gotei Thirteen, and hello to all you Lieutenants out there, as well! My name is Kisuke Urahara! There are probably some of you out there who don't know me, but fear not, I'll make the introductions once things have... calmed down a bit._**

Distracted by the sudden appearance of Urahara's voice, Sui-Feng felt a blow against her stomach. A reishi missile had caught her full on in the gut. Exploding violently, the projectile sent her hurtling through the air, and crashing into the ground below.

The Captain lifted her head, her eyes losing focus and a haze gripping her mind. Everything was beginning to grow muffled and fuzzy.

_That stupid idiot... Why would he... Interrupt everyone's battles like this?_

**_This is a very exciting time!_** the voice continued. **_I've managed to develop a method of regaining lost Bankais! And to top it off, it can also be used to prevent the theft of Bankais as well. Aren't I just the most resourceful little genius?_**

"W-what...?" Sui-Feng gasped, through bloodied and burnt lips.

**_Along with this transmission, I've sent you all a little black pill. All you need to do is touch it, and it will take effect. You can use anything you want; your hand, your foot, your sword, even your-!_**

**_Stop that right now!_** suddenly shouted Akon's voice, over the Tenteikura.

Sui-Feng ignored the rest of the comical arguing that was filling her head. Her entire attention, half-conscious as it was, was focussed on a small black object that had just appeared next to her.

Reaching out, her arm trembled, dripping blood onto the ground around her. Just as the strength left her shoulder, her hand dropped and touched the pill. Immediately, the medication was drawn into her body, invading her system. She could feel it grafting onto her soul.

"What's that?!" Balder laughed, launching another round of rockets at the Captain. "Some new toy to try and defeat me?!"

"No..." Sui-Feng said, weakly, as the attacks continued to scream towards her. "An old toy that I've dug out just for you... Bankai: Jakuhō Raikōben!"

Just as her Bankai manifested, the missiles collided with the ground around her, eclipsing her form in fire.

* * *

><p>"The method is very simple..." Urahara explained, directing his attention towards Mayuri and Akon. "Quincys have no natural defences against Hollows. It's for that reason that they mercilessly hunt them like they do... One bite is enough to infect a Quincy, and begin to break down their cells. So if we insert a minuscule fragment of Hollow Reiatsu into the Captain's Bankais, no matter how small, the very nature of it will become like poison to the Quincys."<p>

"That's why the Sternritter who stole Captain Rose's Bankai reacted to its activation the way he did," Mayuri continued. "Because Urahara's pills are providing a sudden jolt of Hollow Reiatsu, it disrupts the connection to the Quincys' medallion. However in Rose's case, the Hollow Reiatsu was already a part of his Bankai... That is why it was slowly poisoning the Quincy who stole it. And it all came to a head when he activated the stolen Bankai."

"And now that they know that the Bankais contain a little bit of Hollow-seasoning," Urahara grinned. "They won't be stealing them anymore."

* * *

><p>Sui-Feng found herself atop a nearby building, out of range of the blast. Omaeda held her in a clumsy embrace with his shattered hands. He had pulled her out of the way of the last attack, the split second before it had found its mark.<p>

She smiled weakly. "Hold me steady... The recoil on this is... a bit of a bitch..."

Without another word, Sui-Feng lifted her Bankai and took aim at the Quincy. The golden structure caught the light of the moon above and flames below her, shining and shimmering.

As the body of the Bankai shot from its sheath, it broke the sound barrier, leaving a sonicboom trailing in its wake. Sui-Feng and Omaeda were both swept from the roof and flung through the air.

Balder Blitzkrieg caught sight of the attack searing through the night towards him, and opened his eyes wide in horror.

Light tore through the Silbern. Windows were shattered and eardrums of anyone within a half mile radius were blown out.


	27. Toten Engels

**Chapter 27: Toten Engels** • **死んだ 天使**

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) was laying on his back, gazing at the night sky. He yawned and scratched the side of his head. Pale eyes moved lazily and he sighed deeply.

On the horizon, he could see Kokujo Tengen Myou crumble. He sensed the Bankai's Reiatsu dispersing skyward and returning to its original owner.

"Those idiots..." he muttered. "They should have killed the Bankai's owners in the first invasion, like I did... That way they wouldn't have lost the power in such a humiliating fashion."

He slowly rose to his feet and began to walk; hands in his pockets. Kicking off from the ground, he leapt to the top of a nearby building and broke into a slight smirk.

"Though... Now that they've lost the Bankai... It means that they can finally use their Vollständig."

* * *

><p>Tomoko Stano (Sternritter E) fell to one knee. She felt almost as if a great weight had been dropped on her from above. Behind her, the stolen Bankai crumbled and disappeared.<p>

Ikkaku took a step away from her and watched as she lost control of the Bankai. Tomoko was still holding her punctured eye; blood dripping between her fingers.

"Shit..." she hissed, gritting her teeth and glaring through her one good eye at the Third Seat. "I am done with this..." Tomoko ground out between her teeth, taking a step forwards and removing her hand from her damaged eye. "You are so dead."

Unease flooded Ikkaku's system. In spite of losing the stolen Bankai, the Sternritter was acting as if she was going to win. She was too confident.

The buckle of Tomoko's belt, in the shape of a Quincy Zeichen, began to spin. Light shot into the air, in a towering pillar, as she screamed in rage. Ikkaku felt all the airborne reishi in the area get sucked towards the light column.

"Mastema; Divine Chaos!"

Tomoko emerged from the white glare, swathed in jagged, angular wings of reishi. The shape of the wings constantly changed, rippling and distorting. Above her head, an angular star-shaped halo was spinning and rotating rapidly.

Ikkaku gasped and gripped Hozukimaru tightly. _There wasn't a reishi shockwave... But her Reiatsu shot way up. What the hell is going on?_

Tomoko lunged at the Third Seat, at a speed far surpassing anything she had ever displayed before. Breaking through the sound barrier, a shockwave erupted from her body.

Lifting the shaft of his spear, Ikkaku hurriedly attempted to defend against Tomoko's incoming punch. No sooner had he done so, the wood of his Zanpakuto began to freeze; white and blue sparks flying from its surface. Punching clean through the frozen weapon, Tomoko struck him across face and sent him flying, breaking through a dozen buildings in the process.

Tomoko began to laugh, breaking into a wide grin. "Now you're going to find out just how dangerous I can be."

* * *

><p><em>Chaos.<em>

_All things in the universe, be they living, inanimate or even metaphysical will always attempt to return to a state of chaos. This phenomenon is known as Entropy._

_Through entropy, substances and objects can equalise thermal dynamic energy with the environment. Depending on the temperature of the environment, this can result in either the heating or freezing of the substance. Entropy can also result in the speeding up, slowing down or even initiation of reactions._

_Theoretically speaking, if an individual were to be able to control entropy, they would be able to remotely influence the above factors._

_By altering the thermal energy and placement of oxygen and methane atoms in the air, one could create spontaneous explosions. By increasing the flow of heat between an object and the environment, they could superheat or rapidly cool the subject. Control of entropy could also result in sudden sudden, uncontrollable electrical discharges, caused by static. Buildings could collapse, holes could open up in the ground, bones could suddenly break._

_Chaos._

* * *

><p>White and blue lightning crackled across the ground. Sinkholes opened up beneath Ikkaku's feet, locking him in place as he attempted to stand. Above him, the ceiling of the building in which he was stood caved and crushed down upon him. All around the area, explosions shook the air in rippling shockwaves.<p>

Simultaneously, shots of laser-like reishi ripped into the rubble, fired from the barrel of the Sternritter's newly-manifested reishi rifle.

Tomoko Stano (The Entropy)'s eyes were wide and twisted with malice.

Blue and orange light tore through the night, flickering and flashing brightly. A deep rumbling cracked across the skyline, eclipsing the female Sternritter's laughter. The sound carried through the Silbern, right into the ears of Silvanus Athala (Sternritter N).

"This is bad..." he whispered to himself. The wind that circled his body sped up, increasing the speed at which he streaked through the sky. "If Tomoko's using her Vollständig, no one is safe... With her powers enhanced like this, she could level the whole Silbern in an hour... Shit."

The lit up sky in front of his airborne form reflected in grey eyes. Gritting his teeth, he continued to accelerate.

"Why are you using your power so much, you idiot?" His clenched fist was trembling and the tendons in his arm rose up. "Don't you know how dangerous this is? If you use it so much, you're going to hurt your comrades... You could overheat and kill yourself!"

As he neared the battlefield, he could make out Tomoko's laughter in between the blasts.

"Come on!" she cried, continuing to launch reishi shots and generate explosions. "What happened to all those good hits you were landing earlier?! Not able to do much without your friend?!"

"Tomoko, stop!" Sylvanus shouted, coming to a stop and hovering midair behind her.

"Shut up!" Tomoko cried in reply. "He's got to die! Look at what he did to my eye!" She lifted her hand and pointed at her face, momentarily, before returning to her onslaught.

"You've got to stop this!" Sylvanus replied. "You're going to overheat; you could die!"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" she scoffed, laughing. "I'll stop once I'm sure he's dead!"

"That's not the only problem!" he replied, shouting over the explosions. "Look at this!" He swept his arm around and indicated the crater that Tomoko was continuing to barrage. "You see what you're doing? This is one massive beacon! And unlike Balder over there, you can't sustain the firepower to hold off another enemy!"

No sooner had he said this, Sylvanus spotted a Shinigami approaching fast from the east. He was wearing a white Haori over his Shihakusho. It was a Captain.

"Yhwach damn it..." Sylvanus hissed. "Tomoko! Let up on your Schrift; I don't want to get caught up in it. If you want to kill him, so be it, but use your Heilig Pfeil! I'll take care of this Captain."

Tomoko tutted, irritated, and bared her teeth. "Fine."

With that the blue and white sparks, tearing across the ground stopped.

Twisting himself midair, Sylvanus allowed the motion of the air spinning around him to propell him down at the approaching Captain. Touching down on the torn up street, he took up a tight combat stance.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you here," he said, locking eyes with his adversary.

Kensei Muguruma, Captain of Squad Nine, halted in his tracks and broke into a smirk. "So you're going to fight me?"

"That's the plan," Sylvanus replied, cracking his knuckles.

In the background, the shot from Sui-Feng's Bankai exploded, lighting up the sky and throwing shadows from the two men across the ground.

* * *

><p>Balder Blitzkrieg (The Warlord) was blown backwards by the shockwave created by Sui-Feng's Bankai. The air-pressure crushed his white wings into his back, preventing him from flying to escape. Crashing into the ground, he tore through the street.<p>

Struggling to sit up, he breathed a sigh of relief. When he failed to register the sound, he realised that his eardrums had burst.

_Thank God I'm still alive... _he thought to himself._ If I hadn't summoned another rocket to counter that attack, I would have been caught up in that explosion. I underestimated her Bankai's firepower big time... If it had exploded any closer I would've been so dead, it's not even funny._

He broke into a wide grin, distorting his goatee.

_But now that you've used up your only shot, it's over... I hope you enjoy this feeling, Captain. Because soon you're going to be dead._

Balder took to the air, and readied his aim at the Captain and her Lieutenant.

"Did... I get him?" Sui-Feng asked, weakly. Her eyes were half closed and her breathing laboured.

"I think so, Captain," Omaeda replied, still holding onto her; cradling her in her arms. "There's no way he could survive a direct hit from your Bankai."

"Then it's a good thing that it wasn't a direct hit!" Balder laughed, pointing his index fingers down towards the pair. "AGM-123 Skipper!"

Two missiles appeared in the air behind the Sternritter and shot downwards at the rooftop. Omaeda's eyes flicked up and caught a glimpse of the attack.

Hurriedly activating Shunpo, he leapt to the next rooftop; still carrying his Captain. He just barely managed to avoid the blast.

"You're faster than I thought you would be," Balder sneered.

"I wouldn't be much of a stealth force member if I wasn't at least this fast," Omaeda huffed, in response.

"I guess not," Balder chuckled. "But good luck getting far with those broken kneecaps. Though, I wonder if you'd be able to dodge if there were more?"

Rockets of various shapes and sizes appeared in the air behind him. They numbered in the dozens; their outlines glinting in the full moon light.

Pointing his finger as if it were a gun, Balder directed the numerous missiles downwards at the Lieutenant and his Captain. All of the buildings in the surrounding area were levelled.

Omaeda kept moving from building to building, in an attempt to escape the blast radiuses of the bombs. Fire leapt into the sky, tongues lapping up at the moon.

"Come on, where's your speed gone?!" Balder laughed, over the explosions.

Dodging and ducking the basts, Omaeda looked down at his Captain. "Captain! Come on, wake up! I know that you just used it, but I need you to use your Bankai again! He won't be expecting another attack!"

"You... Idiot..." she ground out, weakly. "I can't use it again..."

"But you used it twice in the battle in Karakura town!"

"I wasn't as... Badly beaten as I am now... With these injuries it... It could... Kill me...!"

"If you don't use it we're dead anyway!" Omaeda shouted, fear flooding his voice. Another missile exploded behind him, jolting his body forwards.

"I would, but... Can't... Get a clear shot." Sui-Feng winced in pain from her wounds, and peered up at her subordinate through her good eye. "I... Got lucky before."

Three more blasts ripped through the air around the pair, engulfing them in smoke and fire. Omaeda collapsed. Releasing the Captain from his arms, so that he could stop himself from crushing her, his broken hands slammed into the ground.

Losing sight of the pair in the explosions, Balder ceased fire. Peering down into the smoke and the fire, his eyes just about managed to pick out their forms.

_They're further away than I thought... _he mused. _And the angle that they're at is different... Strange. Were they blown further by the explosions?_

Balder noticed something through the grey and black haze. A glint of gold caught his eye.

_That crazy bitch... She's using her Bankai again? Fine. I'll crush it along with her! She won't even get a chance to fire!_

He swung his arm down, directing another bomb at the pair. "T-12 Cloudmaker!"

As he launched the projectile, Balder was suddenly overcome with an intense sense of vertigo. His head felt as if it were spinning on an axis and his stomach lurched up into his chest. The whole world felt as if it had been turned about itself.

"Welcome to the inverted world," suddenly chuckled a nearby voice. "Pretty crazy, isn't it?"

Shinji Hirako, Captain of Squad Five, was perched atop a nearby tower, spinning his Zanpakuto around his hand. His broad smile leapt out from his face.

"It's pretty difficult to get the hang of," Shinji explained, as Balder attempted to place himself. "Up, down, side to side, back to front and even your eyesight are all reversed."

"You... Bastard!" Balder shouted, flailing wildly in the middle of the air. Missiles, bombs and rockets fired out in all directions, but none met their mark.

"He's all yours," Shinji chuckled, indicating the female Captain.

Balder realised all too late that Sui-Feng had already fired her Bankai. The golden body slammed into his stomach and carried him through the air at lightning speed.

Screaming in terror, the Quincy's voice was eclipsed as the Bankai detonated. The explosion ripped through the air, the shockwave slamming into Shinji and nearly flinging him from building.

Balder Blitzkrieg (The Warlord) was completely vaporised.

* * *

><p>Shuhei Hisagi struggled to even rise to his knees. The blades that tipped one of his scythes was shattered, and several of his ribs were broken. His collarbones were both cracked and his left arm dislocated.<p>

Asuma Godai (The Lunar) wrung his hand around his wrist and shook his head, removing his long white hair from his face. Ever since the moon had appeared in the sky, he had been growing progressively stronger.

"I'm impressed," Asuma mused, his voice flat. "I assumed that you'd be dead in five minutes... But so far you've lasted twenty."

Shuhei gagged and heaved as he coughed up blood; the red liquid spattering the ground beneath him. His arms were trembling, and his lip quivering.

As Sui-Feng's second Bankai attack cracked through the night sky, Asuma momentarily glanced up at the horizon. "Hm..." he hummed. "Balder is dead... That I did not expect." He looked down at the Lieutenant. "You Shinigami are doing a lot better in this fight than I thought you would."

Shuhei ignored the remark. Instead he lunged at the Sternritter, raising the scythe in his good arm. Asuma turned to the side and grabbed the Soul Reaper's wrist, before lifting his knee and striking him in the gut.

"You can still move," Asuma said in mild surprise, releasing his opponent's wrist as he doubled over from the pain. "Perhaps I've been going too easy on you..."

"You're telling me," Shuhei retorted, weakly. "You haven't even used that Vollständig thing yet..."

"That's not what I'm referring to," the Quincy replied, reaching up and pushing his hair behind his ear. His slit pupils narrowed and he broke into a slight smirk. "The Vollständig grants those chosen the holy wings of angels."

The Sternritter's body suddenly jolted as he kicked Shuhei in the side, sending him flying.

"However I do not need my wings to kill you," Asuma continued. "What I am referring to is not the form of an angel... But that of a monster."


	28. The Blade is

**Chapter 28: The Blade Is...**

_Up until now I've been avoiding having to think about it..._

_No one told me anything about the enemy, so how...? How did I know that he was my main adversary? How did I know that he was the one I had to go after?_

_And why...? Why, when I looked into his eyes did it feel so... Familiar?_

* * *

><p>Rain crashed down on Ichigo's inner world so thick and fast that it drowned out the sound of Ichigo's laboured breathing. His eyes were morphed in horror and his mouth hung open. Distress and shock gripped his face like a vice.<p>

"Why...?" he choked out. "Why did you...?"

Across from him Zangetsu, or rather Yhwach, broke into an expression of sorry. "It's as you were told... I am not Zangetsu..."

Beneath them, the skyscraper crumbled. Water rose up and engulfed the pair, dragging them into its murky depths.

"So what are you?" Ichigo cried out.

"What I am..." he explained. "Is the manifestation of your Quincy abilities... I am Yhwach... And at the same time, I'm not."

"What the hell does that mean?!" Ichigo shouted, fighting against the currents of the water around him. "So what... Are you an enemy? An ally?"

"I am neither... My advise has never led you astray, nor has it ever hurt you. Everything I did, I did to protect you... My only deception was in telling you my name." His eyes narrowed and he appeared close to tears. "Have you not noticed... Every time you were taught the intricacies of your Zanpakuto, every time your life was in danger, when you were unable to control the power of your Bankai... The one responsible for saving you was not me. It was your hollow. Your true Zanpakuto."

Ichigo gasped and swallowed hard as he realised.

"I never wanted you to become a Shinigami..." the spirit continued. "I even went as far as to suppress your powers and become your power source..."

"Why...?" Ichigo gasped.

"Why?" he replied. "Do I really need to explain to you why I wanted to keep you out of harm's way? As a Shinigami you would have suffered, experienced great pain... But, as time passed and you did become a Shinigami, I watched you. You trained hard, gained power... And in spite of the pain and suffering you experienced, you continued down that same path. And I found my heart... Wavering."

The spirit flung open his cape, revealing a sword. Swathed in flame, despite the water engulfing it, it shone like a haunting beacon.

"And far from impeding your progress... I watched you grow and wished for you to get stronger. I found myself helping you... Even if it means doing this."

The spirit began to fade; his body rippling and blowing apart like leaves in the wind.

Ichigo's body locked up. "What are you doing?!" he screamed in horror.

"I'm more than happy to relinquish my hold over you," the fading visage explained. "Ichigo... You have become strong. This entire time, I have watched you as you've grown and become a man... The pride that I feel is indescribable. I feel... At peace."

"Wait! Hold on, Zangetsu!" Ichigo cried, leaping forwards through the water. "I still haven't had a chance to-!"

"Please..." the spirit whispered, cutting the boy off. "Get stronger... And protect yourself... Now that I no longer can..." A tear slipped from the corner of his eye and rolled down his crumbling cheek.

By the time Ichigo had reached him, his form had completely vanished. Now, only the sword remained.

**"Ichigo..." **echoed the spirit's disembodied voice. **"What you have been wielding up until now has only been a fraction of your power. The power that I was unable to suppress. The time has finally come... For you to fight with your own power. Take it. It is yours... That there... Is the real Zangetsu."**

* * *

><p><em>You were right...<em>

_There weren't any lies. Not from you, and not from him._

_In the battle with Kenpachi, you took me under the shadows of the Quincy... You used the blood of a Quincy to stop mine from spilling..._

_You lent me strength..._

_Zangetsu..._

_I'm sure that if I were to say it, you would deny it, but... I believe that both of you... You and him... I'm sure-_

_No._

_I'm certain._

_That you are both Zangetsu._

* * *

><p>Ichigo thrust his hands out into the fire of Nimaya's forge. The heat scorched and seared his skin up both arms and burned away the fabric of his Shihakusho.<p>

"Perfecto," Nimaya said, smirking. "Jus' when I wanted ya' t' stick in a load of your Reiatsu, ya' went ahead and did just that. Ya' went and put the icing on the cake, ya' dig!" His smile widened. "Now go ahead and draw it out Ichigo-chan~! Your very own Zanpakuto!"

Ichigo swung his arms out of the flames, drawing the sword from the furnace. Fire shot outwards in all directions and vaporised the entire reservoir of water. Superheated steam rushed past Nimaya's body in a thick cloud.

A sound like thunder reverberated through the cavernous room. Nimaya was nearly taken off of his feet; his arms flailing up into the air.

Whistling between his teeth, Nimaya lowered his glasses back into place. "Ya' sword was so hot with heat and Reiatsu that it took a whole sea t' cool it; know what I'm sayin'?" He winked through his sunglasses. "Check it out Ichigo-chan~! What's it feel like to be holdin' those Zangetsus?"

Glancing down at his hands, Ichigo laid eyes on a pair of Zanpakuto. Both resembled his former Shikai, only entirely black. The one in his left hand was noticeably shorter than the one in his right.

He could feel them glancing over his shoulders. Zangetsu. Both of them.

"Zangetsu..." he said, whispering to the swords. "I promise I won't ask you to lend me strength anymore... I won't ever ask you to get out of my way. I won't even ask you to fight with me. From now on... I'll fight on my own." He closed his eyes and leaned back. "Thank you, Zangetsu. You've finally made me realise it... You are me."

"Ex-cel-lent!" Nimaya shouted, leaping up behind him and clapping one hand on the orange-haired youth's shoulder. "Now all ya' need is t' make ya' way to Shutara and Oshō's places, and you're set t' head down t' the battle!"

Ichigo's eyes moved quickly to the side, in surprise. "What do you mean, the battle?"

"Whoops!" Nimaya said, putting his hand over his mouth. "Totally wasn't s'post t' tell ya' that... Um, yeah..." He reached up and scratched the side of his head. "The Quincys invaded again about an hour ago. Weren't s'post t' let it slip 'cos you were still in training..."

"How are they doing?" Ichigo asked, slowly.

"Better," Nimaya answered. "A lot better than last time. And now that Renji's makin' his way there, they're gonna be on cloud nine!"

Ichigo tightened his grip on the two swords in his hands. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. Thinking about all of the battles going on, he was struggling to keep clam. The old him would have immediately rushed off into battle and attempted to take on all of the enemies at once.

_But I can't do it all by myself..._ he thought. _Thinking that I could is stupid. I... Need to trust them. Trust the Captains and all the others to hold their own. But what if I do and they all die...? What if they can't protect themselves?_

"Hear me out on this, carrot top," Nimaya said, ducking around the boy and crouching on the floor. He looked up into Ichigo's eyes from his knelt position. "I know you wanna leap in all gung-ho, but how 'bout a compromise?" He held up his pinky finger and widened his grin. "You head t' Shutara, get yourself some new threads; then head to the Monk's. All in all should take about an hour. If ya' still wanna go then, then be my guest. But first give yourself a chance to recharge and build up ya' strength."

He thought, in silence, for several seconds. His mind raced as he tried to come to a decision of exactly what to do.

That was when it struck him.

_I don't have to do anything... I was debating with myself over if they could all handle it when I didn't need to. I wasn't the only one training to get stronger... I trust them all._

Breaking into an ever so slight smile, Ichigo looked down at the Royal Guard member. "Deal."

* * *

><p>Asuma Godai (The Lunar)'s eyes glazed over and began to swirl, losing their silver colouring and melding into a bright, sparkling blue. White hair began to sprout from his face and exposed hands, until it looked as if he had grown fur. The joints of his arms and legs cracked and dislocated before moulding and refixing themselves into a distinctly lupine form. His jaw popped out of place, as his teeth began to grow sharp and elongate, and the front of his face began to contort until it resembled a muzzle.<p>

Shuhei struggled to lift his body. As he laid eyes on the Sternritter's new form, he broke into an expression of pure dismay. "You've got to be kidding me..."

Asuma stood in front of the Lieutenant. No longer was he in the form of a man. Instead he had taken on the appearance of a large bipedal wolf.

The Sternritter bared his distinctly canine teeth in what seemed like a grin. "Like I said..." he said. "I'm not an angel. I'm a monster."

Fear flooded Shuhei's system. Coursing through his veins, it filled his entire body.

"Your reaction is understandable," Asuma said, leaning down and placing his hands on the floor. Atop his head, his ears began to flutter. "There has not been a single person that has laid eyes on this form and not been afraid." His claws dug into the ground, cracking the concrete. "You are going to die now. That, I can say with absolute certainty."

**_BOOM!_**

Asuma's head shot up. Pinpointing the cause of the sound, the white wolf's eyes locked onto a light source in the sky. Breaking through the Shakonmaku, the object tore downwards through the air. Colliding with the ground, yet another explosion blasted through the night.

"What is that...?" Asuma growled, the pupils of his luminous blue eyes dilating.

Inhaling deeply, the werewolf sniffed at the night air. The scent that filled his nose, coming from the object's drop site, was familiar. He had smelled it before; back in the first invasion.

"The Lieutenant of Squad 6..." he growled to himself, in realisation. Returning his attention to Shuhei, he locked his joints and bared his teeth. "It seems that I need to finish what I started. But first... I need to take care of you."

Launching himself from the ground, Asuma all but vanished. His speed had skyrocketed. Reappearing in front of Shuhei, he raised one clawed hand and swung it downwards, in an attempt to take off the Lieutenant's head.

All of a sudden, his arm stopped short. Wrapping around the Sternritter's wrist were a series of wires connected to a several blade segments.

Renji Abarai was stood off to the side, gripping his Zanpakuto tightly. The muscles in his arms tensed and his tendons rose up in his exposed wrist. He wore a strange set of robes over his Shihakusho, woven from numerous different coloured fibers.

"Damn..." he chuckled. "Even after all that crazy training I did, you're still so strong. It's all I can do to hold your arm back."

"Renji..." Shuhei choked out from his crumpled position. "It's... The moon..."

"The moon?" Renji grunted, reaching up with his free hand and sticking his pinky in his ear. He pulled a disgrunteled expression. "That's not something I can counter. What am I supposed to do? Blow up the m-?"

He was cut off as Asuma turned and slashed him across the chest with his claws. The fabric of his new garb tore and blood dripped down his front.

Renji released his Zanpakuto's hold on the wolf and leapt back. He gritted his teeth. "You're faster as well."

"I'm curious," Asuma said. "How are you so certain of who I am, despite my form?"

"You look different, yeah," Renji explained. "I don't remember you being quite so... Wolfy. But, maybe it's my training... I can feel who you are."

Asuma's eyes twisted. He registered the change in the Lieutenant. While Renji looked the same, the aura that he was giving off was indisputably different.

Rising to his full height, Asuma looked down at Renji and cocked his head to one side. He flexed his fingers of his right hand and took a step backwards. "It appears you're finally worthy of fighting me," he said, mild admiration in his voice. "I could not have hoped for better. When I left you alive after our last bout, I expected you to grow, but this is splendid." Dark blue reishi began to converge around his hand. "I think you're worthy of me using my true sword."

Renji broke into a stern expression. He raised Zabimaru up and held it in a tight grip.

The midnight blue reishi solidified in the wolf's hand into the form of a long blade. The edge glittered in the night; so sharp that even the wind was sliced by it.

"This is the greatsword Gram," Asuma explained, lifting the blade. "And out of all the members of the Sternritter, I am the most proficient in swordplay. In all my years as a Quincy, I remain unmatched."

Renji lunged forwards and locked blades with the humanoid wolf. "Well then I'm flattered you're willing to fight me at my full," he ground out, forcing the blade of Asuma's sword back.

Asuma turned sideways, allowing the Lieutenant to pass him by. Renji turned back on himself and the pair began to clash blades. Sparks shot into the air and sizzled into the snow that lay upon the street as they moved.

Faster and faster the swords moved, until they were little more than a shapeless blur.

Separating the segments of the blade, Renji wrapped his sword around Asuma's own. Wrenching back, he pulled the Sternritter forwards, before sidestepping and striking the wolf around the face.

Asuma growled. Removing one hand from his sword, he struck out with his claws. Barely dodging the swipe, Renji was knicked across the side of the face.

Their blades met again. Digging his feet into the ground, Asuma swung his sword upwards with so much force that it took Renji off of his feet.

As he was flung back, Renji swung his Zanpakuto downwards at the Sternritter. Again, the segments separated and extended. He landed a slash on the werewolf's shoulder, tearing through his white uniform and gouging deeply into his flesh.

Asuma grabbed the Zanpakuto and pulled Renji down towards him. Raising Gram in his left hand, he tried to take a swipe at the airborne Shinigami hurtling down towards him.

Renji twisted to the side midair and exhaled. As the air left his lungs, his chest sunk and he just about managed to dodge the slash.

Wrenching his Zanpakuto from Asuma's grip, Renji touched down on the ground and leapt back, gaining distance.

_What the hell was that?_ Asuma thought to himself, eyeing the Lieutenant. _His reflexes should not be that sharp. He realised when I switched my reishi streams and altered my Blut..._

Lunging forwards, Asuma engaged his adversary in another flurry of sword swings. Metal against metal rang through the air.

_He's countering my every move. What is this?_

Their blades locked together once more. Asuma glared over the weapons and bared his teeth. His eyes glowed bright blue and the muscles in his arms bulged.

The wolf forced Renji's sword back with a strength far surpassing anything he had displayed before. The Lieutenant's Zanpakuto was flung wide. Asuma stepped in and reversed his sword's swing.

Renji's hand shot out and grabbed the Sternritter around the wrist of his sword arm. Zabimaru extended from his outstretched arm. Flicking his wrist, he directed a strike at the wolfman's back.

Far from cutting Asuma, however, the blade grated over his skin.

_To think he's made me resort to Blut Einklang... _Asuma thought, shaking off Renji's hand before repeatedly engaging the Lieutenant. _It drains too much energy..._

As Renji clashed blades with the Quincy, he began to speak. "Urahara told us that Quincy couldn't attack and defend at the same time. What is this?"

"Out of all the Sternritter, I am the only one able to utilise both reishi channels simultaneously." Sparks shot into the duelling pair's faces as Asuma replied. "Due to my inhuman form."

Asuma's sword began to glow as it clashed against Renji's own. Brighter and brighter the light grew.

All of a sudden, an arrow, formed from reishi, blasted from the edge of the blade and slammed into Renji's front. Carried through the air, Renji was eclipsed in a deafening explosion.

"You're far too dangerous to be left alive," Asuma said, lowering his blade and staring into the haze of smoke above him. His eyes suddenly flicked to the side and locked onto the form of the full moon. "And, unlucky for you, the moon is full."

Light eclipsed Asuma's form, as he let out a deafening howl. A shot of reishi launched upwards into the sky, and split into the form of a five-pointed star.

"Auriel; Illumination of God."


	29. Sou'ou

**Chapter 29: Sou'ou**

Shunsui Kyoraku broke into a grin as he stared down the woman on the other side of the barrier. "It seems that we're more well-prepared than you anticipated," he chided, locking eyes with her.

"No matter," Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) replied, lifting one eyebrow. Her hands were still on her hips. "You are still no closer to defeating us."

"You say that," Shunsui said, lifting one finger and wagging it. "But for all your talk, you're still no closer to breaking through this barrier."

"Really?" Lenora laughed, drawing her sword and striking out. No sooner had she done so, the barrier in front of her shattered.

Shunsui's eyes opened wide.

Shooting up from the floor, another barrier intercepted the Sternritter's advance. Lenora stopped dead, her boot dragging against the floor. Her deep blue eyes narrowed as she observed the barrier.

The structure was indisputably different from before. As opposed to an uninterrupted sheet, this new barrier took the form of a series of segmented hexagons that interlocked with one-another.

"You'd been gradually siphoning reishi from the barrier in order to weaken it..." Nanao said, eyeing Lenora. "You're smart. However, did you really think that I wouldn't have put up a fail safe?"

"Actually, I did," Lenora said, grinning. "Which is why I've also got myself a fail safe." Glancing over her shoulder at the door, she called out. "Boys!"

As she shouted, a squadron of Soldat stormed into the room. White uniforms rustled and crumpled as they moved in unison and took up positions either side of her.

"While I was siphoning reishi from the first barrier, I was making a judgement of how long it was taking," Lenora explained. "Once I'd made an estimation, I sent out a call to my Soldat. If there were a second barrier, these men here... Are the exact number I would need to absorb it, before you could create another."

The second barrier vanished. Reishi trailed in its wake as Lenora's soldiers absorbed the structure.

Leaping forwards, the Sternritter raised her reishi sword and struck down at the Captain. Drawing his two blades, Shunsui blocked the strike and gritted his teeth.

"Nanao, run!" he shouted, forcing Lenora's blade back and engaging her.

Leaping through the window of the room, Nanao took to the streets and began to sprint through the Silbern.

"Do you really think that she'll get far?" Lenora laughed, repeatedly clashing with the Head Captain. "Boys! Search and destroy! I want her mounted on my wall!"

The Soldat that filled the room shot past he duelling pair and leapt through the window, chasing after the fleeing girl. As Shunsui attempted to turn and stop them, Lenora yet again locked blades with him and broke into a wide smile.

"This was fun while it lasted, Head Captain," she said, teasingly. "But all good things have to come to an end."

* * *

><p>Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) slammed his forearm into Kensei Muguruma's own. Whipping his arm down, by twisting his elbow joint, he grasped the Captain around the wrist. Turning back on himself, he lifted his left leg and kicked his opponent in the side of the face.<p>

Kensei's head was knocked back by the force, momentarily stunning him. Releasing the Captain's wrist, Sylvanus continued the spinning motion of his kick until his left foot reached the floor and his back was facing the Shinigami. Suddenly lifting his right leg, he launched a backwards kick into Kensei's gut, sending him flying.

Regaining his senses, Kensei dug his feet into the ground, carving deep trenches into the street. Kicking off, the threw himself back towards the Sternritter and raised the short combat knife in his left hand, for a wide swing.

As the blade of the knife began move within range, Sylvanus stepped forward. The attack was heading straight for his exposed neck.

The metal passed through his flesh almost as if there was nothing there.

Responding to the opening created by the attack, Sylvanus struck the Captain beneath the chin with a right uppercut.

Kensei leapt back, just as Sylvanus moved to hit him with a left hook. Spitting blood to the side, he flipped his knife out of its inverted position.

_That just felt like I was slashing at air!_ his mind reeled, attempting to discern the nature of his opponent's ability. _And those air currents surrounding his body. It must be something to do with wind. That's why he's so fast, he's using the force of the currents to make him more agile._

Kensei gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt of his small Zanpakuto tightly.

_He must be merging himself with the wind to avoid my attacks. He becomes intangible for a second. But it's only for a second. I'll use the moment he solidifies to counterattack!_

Sylvanus rapidly reached up and snapped a different point off of his necklace.

The Captain leapt back into the fray.

All of a sudden, the air circling Quincy vanished. Light burst from his eyes and flickers of what appeared to be electricity crackled out from his face.

Sylvanus' speed leapt astoundingly. Lurching forwards, he all but vanished. Not expecting the sudden change of pace, Kensei neglected to cover his chest. Slipping through the Captain's guard, Sylvanus struck him in the middle of his ribcage.

Kensei's muscles all locked up. What felt like an electrical shock rippled across his skin, and his pectoral muscles grew numb.

_What on Earth...?!_

Slashing out with his Zanpakuto, Kensei attempted to use the attack as a distraction, in order to gain some distance. Sylvanus' right hand shot up and grasped Kensei around his left wrist. A current of electricity coursed up the Captain's arm. As he grasped the Captain, Sylvanus simultaneously leapt into the air and slammed his left shin into the side of Kensei's face. Again, Kensei felt a pulse of electrical current.

Flung back by the force of the kick, he righted himself midair before touching down on the ground. Suddenly leaping back, he began to retreat to gain some distance.

_His hits aren't as hard as they were before,_ he thought to himself, keeping his eyes tuned on the grey-haired Sternritter. _But that speed! It's inhuman... Not to mention those shocks. I don't know how he's doing it, but he's shutting down my nerve endings._

Watching the Captain, intently, Sylvanus cracked his knuckles and took up another combat stance.

"This has gone on long enough..." Kensei hissed under his breath. "BANKAI! Tekken Tachikaze!"

* * *

><p>Ikkaku Madarame was on the move. Stumbling through the wreckage of the Silbern as fast as he could, he fled the crater that Tomoko had created.<p>

His right arm was broken and his shoulder dislocated. The collarbone on the same side had been crushed. Blood from a deep gash was drowning his face. His left eye was black and swollen shut. The wrist of his left hand was sprained, yet still he held his Zanpakuto.

He had managed to slip out of the sphere of destruction and make a break for it. The radius of explosions was so wide and so loud that Tomoko Stano (The Entropy)didn't even notice, at first.

Now, however, the Sternritter was well aware of his plan to escape. The interference of Sylvanus had cause her to let up just enough to sense that Ikkaku was gone.

Every so often, when Tomoko caught a glimpse of him between buildings, a shot of reishi collided with the ground behind the Third Seat. Blue and white explosions rocked the streets.

_She's weak in close combat_, Ikkaku thought to himself, speeding up and slowing his pace to confuse Tomoko's aim. _I know that much. If I could get in close to her I could land a solid hit... But with her flying like that, not to mention these shots, I can't even so much as turn in her direction._

A shot wizzed through the air in front of him, through a gap in the buildings. It exploded against a building to Ikkaku's right.

_She's predicting my route. Shit. I can't keep this up forever. Sooner of later she's going to catch me in another blast!_

Tomoko chuckled to herself as she peered down the scope of her reishi rifle, with her remaining right eye. Atop her head, the halo that hovered over her messy black hair was spinning rapidly.

"You're going to pay for taking my eye," she hissed, maliciously.

* * *

><p>Renji Abarai watched as the skyward beam of light shattered into glass-like shards of reishi.<p>

"Auriel; Illumination of God."

Asuma Godai (The Lunar) was revealed, glowing like a haunting beacon. Sprouting from the back of his lupine form were a pair of white flame-like wings. Over his head, in the shape of a cresent moon, was a similarly pale halo. Spewing from his mouth, faint blue flames fluttered outwards, like breath in cold air.

Rearing his head back, Asuma let out a booming howl. The sheer pressure of the sound rocked the nearby buildings.

Renji instinctively lifted his sword-wielding arm up, to defend against the shockwave. His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth.

The wolfman suddenly appeared in front of him; right in his face. His sword was raised.

The instinct to shield his face was what saved Renji. Asuma's blade collided with the Lieutenant's own. The sheer force of the strike lifted Renji into the air and sent him flying.

Landing atop a nearby building, Renji rolled. Pushing off, he tore the skin off of his left palm in an attempt to return to his feet. Looking up, he saw the Sternritter soaring through the air, on his wings of light.

Zabimaru whipped up and extended through the air. Shooting towards the airborne Sternritter, the blade shimmered in the half-light of the moon. It appeared as if Renji was attempting to subdue his assault, before he reached him.

It did little good.

Asuma turned sideways as he flew, swatting aside he Zanpakuto with his own blade, before continuing to hurtle towards the Shinigami.

Again, instinct saved Renji. Back-stepping suddenly, he managed to barely avoid a downward slash from Asuma's greatsword.

Rearing his head up, the Sternritter suddenly began to breathe blue fire. Roaring from his mouth, the reishi flames engulfed the building on which the pair stood and began to burn fiercely.

Beating his wings, Asuma leapt from the rooftop, so as not to get caught in his own blaze. Peering through his luminous blue eyes, he watched as Renji's form was eclipsed by flame. His top lip pulled up over his shape teeth, in something akin to a grin.

That was when he felt it. Spiritual pressure. Intense, heavy spiritual pressure, crushing down on him from above.

"Bankai! Sou'ou Zabimaru!"

Emerging from the reishi fire a huge tail, formed from segmented bone, whipped and swung in a wide arc. The flames were extinguished by the force of the swing, revealing Renji.

Affixed to his right wrist was a gigantic gauntlet, taking the form of a large snake's skull. Vertebrae-like bone joints extended from the back of the skull, forming the tail that was whipping through the air. Armoured pauldrons locked onto his shoulders, from which sprouted a cowl of bright red fur. Floating over his left arm was a huge arm, like that of a giant red baboon.

Tensing his right arm, he clenched his fist. Shooting from the mouth of the skull, a long and straight blade sprung into view.

Renji launched himself into the air, the tail of his Bankai spiralling behind him.

He moved so fast, Asuma barely had a chance to raise Gram to defend himself. The two blades clashed in a vibrant blaze of sparks.

"What is this?" Asuma growled, glaring over the blades. "This is not your Bankai! The Daten told us exactly what your Bankai was like!"

"Orochiou," Renji muttered. The blade emerging from his snake skull gauntlet rapidly changed into a serrated form, trapping Asuma's sword underneath one of the hooked protrusions. Wrenching the blade downwards, he pulled Gram from Asuma's hands, sending it falling to the ground below.

Following Renji's downward movement, the tail looped up over his left shoulder and slammed into Asuma's chest. The white wolf was knocked back by the strike, tumbling down through the air and breaking through several buildings, as he reached the ground.

Dropping to the ground, Renji whipped his Bankai tail and lifted his gauntleted arm. The serrated blade glinted and shined in the pale moonlight.

Asuma launched himself from the rubble, towards the Shinigami. Raising his arms, he bared his claws and teeth.

Renji thrust out his left arm, and let out a hoarse shout of: "Hihiou!" The gigantic baboon arm mimicked his movement and lunged at the Sternritter.

Asuma beat his wings, in an attempt to avoid the attack and escape skyward. Unfortunately, he underestimated just how fast the disembodied arm could move.

The bone-like fingers gasped him around the left leg and clenched down. The force was so strong that his leg snapped in two, like a twig.

The arm swung wide, throwing Asuma with so much force that he broke through several buildings and showed no sign of slowing.

Renji kicked off of the ground and appeared above the Quincy, following his flying movement. Lifting his right arm, he pointed the blade down and ran Asuma through. The sword emerged from the Sternritter's back and plunged into the ground, anchoring him in place.

Blood spewed from the wolfman's mouth and stained his white fur. His blue eyes pinpricked and his teeth bared. He lifted one arm to swipe at Renji with his claws, screaming with rage.

"Sou'ou Zabimaru!" Renji shouted, clenching his fist inside the snake skull. "Zaga Teppo!"

Bright red spirit energy flared up from his back, in the shape of a giant disembodied snake head. The jaws of the blaze opened wide and bit down, sailing over Renji's body and chomping into Asuma's pinned body.

A shockwave of energy tore through the streets and shook snow from the roofs of buildings. A fire-like shot of reishi fired skyward and eclipsed the street.

Once the reishi dissipated and cleared, Asuma's body was little more than ash. Charred and burnt, tinder-like bones were all that remained of his body.

Renji pulled his sword from the corpse and dissipated his Bankai. His eyes narrowed and he let out a deep sigh. He looked down at the blade in his hand. "Thank you, Zabimaru... Thank you for trusting me with the true name of your Bankai. I promise... I'll do all I can to protect everyone."

Turning away from what remained of Sternritter L (The Lunar), he permitted himself a brief glance back at his opponent before disappearing into the streets of the Silbern.


	30. Return to Order

**Chapter 30: Return to Order**

Momo Hinamori was on the defensive. Even in spite of her ditsy and clumsy persona, Jamina Jazdera (The Injection) was easily far stronger than the average Shinigami Lieutenant.

The edge of Momo's Tobiume clashed against the needle of Jamina's gigantic syringe. "Hadō 54, Haien!" Momo cried. Purple light blasted from the edge of her Zanpakuto, before exploding violently.

Jamina was flung backwards, through the air and crashed into a wall. She was burned up both of her arms; red blistered flesh contrasting from her pale, milky skin.

Hissing between her teeth, the Sternritter pulled out a smaller syringe and plunged it into her leg. The glowing blue liquid flowed into her veins and rushed into her system. The burns on her arms began to rapidly heal and regenerate new skin.

Jamina's red eyes twinkled, as she looked over at the Lieutenant. "Lucky I have these!" she giggled and span the hypodermic needle around her finger. "That one really hurt! But that's besides the point..."

Casting the needle down, Jamina drew another three from her cloak and held them between her fingers. She dissipated her oversized syringe into reishi and pulled out another three smaller needles. Her smile widened and her bubblegum pink hair fell over her face as she tilted her head to the side.

"Because I just thought of a way to kill you!" Jamina laughed, her pupils shrinking and her eyes warping into an expression that Momo had not seen the Sternritter wear before.

Blue light burst from the syringes clasped in her hands. Leaping into the air, she tossed them at Momo. Drawing more and more from her white nurse's uniform, she launched the medical projectiles over and over.

Momo attempted to dodge the swarm of needles. One, however, managed to find its mark. Sinking into the flesh of her thigh, the device injected the fluid.

Almost instantly, a strange sense flooded over her. Her skin flushed bright red and sweat began to drip from every pore. Beneath her, Momo's legs buckled and she fell to the floor. The pupils of her eyes dilated rapidly.

Jamina began to walk towards the downed Lieutenant, chuckling under her breath. "My ability is healing exclusive," she explained, drawing another needling and spinning it around her finger. "It's supposed to be used for support; but where's the fun in that?"

Momo's body began to tremble and spasm. Her eyes flickered and shot up and tried to place the Quincy. Her breathing was rapid and shallow.

"So how did I do this to you?" Jamina asked, grinning. "Simple... I healed you."

"Wh-what are you...?" Momo gasped.

"Well, healed isn't exactly the right word... I don't inject different substances to heal ailments. I inject the same substance and use my Reiatsu to change the properties." She crouched down next to the Shinimagi and began to playfully rock back and forth on the balls of her feet. "What I did just now..." Jamina reached out and poked Momo. "I gave your sympathetic nervous system a bit of a boost. Adrenaline and noradrenalin are flooding your system right now... Your heart rate should be through the roof."

Reaching out, Jamina injected the second dose of her Reiatsu into the Lieutenant. Momo began to shudder violently.

"And that raised heart rate is perfect to carry this around your body." She giggled to herself and pushed her hair behind her ear. "This one that I just injected you with causes massive cell replication. Exclusive to cells that make up your immune system."

Momo's breath grew scratchy. Her eyes continued to widen.

"Autoimmune disease is caused by an over active immune system," Jamina explained. "An over abundance of cells meant for defense begin to attack your own body, with different target areas resulting in different symptoms." She grinned widely. "Just now, I targeted your lungs... And with all that adrenaline flooding your system, more and more of your immune cells are being pumped towards there..." Tilting her head to the side, she raised one finger to her lips. "At a guess, you'll be dead in, what... Ten minutes?"

* * *

><p>Kensei Muguruma punched forwards with a straight left. As he did so, the knuckle blades that adorned his fist collapsed down into brass knuckles.<p>

Sylvanus Athala (Sternritter N) thrust his hands out and grasped the Captain around the wrist. Using his hold as leverage, the Sternritter flipped over Kensei's head. Landing behind his opponent, Sylvanus lifted his right leg and kneed him in the ribs.

Allowing the force of the strike to turn him, Kensei span halfway to the side and struck out with a right backhand.

Sylvanus lifted his right arm and blocked. The force that collided with him felt like that of an explosion. Easily swept off his feet, he was carried through the air, towards a nearby building.

Turning about himself midair, Sylvanus' feet planted into the wall and he kicked off, throwing himself back at the Captain.

Kensei let loose a straight right, towards the airborne Quincy. Rearing upwards, Sylvanus placed his hand on top of the Shinigami's fist and vaulted over his arm. Striking out with his left foot, the Sternritter struck Kensei across the face.

Staggaring back, Kensei retaliated with a left hook. Ducking under the fist, Sylvanus leapt to his right.

_I've figured out his Bankai ability..._ Sylvanus thought. _I felt it when he landed that blow on my arm. His Bankai concentrates all of the explosive power from his Shikai into his knuckles. This is dangerous... All he needs is one clean hit on me and I'm done for. Using my lightning ability makes me fast enough to dodge, but my hits aren't strong enough to do any more than annoy him..._

As Sylvanus retreated away, he touched his necklace once again. He toyed with one of the points on it.

His eyes, sparkling with electricity, looked up at where he had left Tomoko. The female Sternritter was no longer there.

_Damn it! Where did she go?_

Kensei appeared in front of him. He had noticed Sylvanus glancing away and fully intended to make use of the opening. Slamming his fist into the Sternritter's stomach, he used his other arm to grasp him around the back of the neck and hold him in place.

The force of multiple explosions ripped through Sylvanus' body. Over and over the blasts pummelled him, causing his body to vibrate.

Finally releasing the Sternritter, Kensei allowed the explosive force to carry Sylvanus through the air. Flipping over himself, he felt the front of his uniform tear. Slamming into a large tower, a considerable distance away, he broke through the wall and landed inside the structure.

"Damn..." Sylvanus groaned before retching and coughing up blood. "The power continues to explode the longer it's in contact... I need to finish this fast."

Reaching up, the Quincy removed his torn and ripped jacket and undershirt, revealing his toned and muscular torso. An angry red burn was etched across his abdomen, where Kensei had struck him.

"I didn't want to have to use my Vollständig so soon into the invasion," he muttered, flexing his fingers. "But I don't think I'll be able to beat this guy without it..."

Tensing all the muscles in his body, Sylvanus readied himself. The necklace that he always wore burst into white light that engulfed his body. Shooting upwards, the resulting column of reishi tore the roof off of the tower in which he stood, before splitting into what appeared to be a five-pointed star.

"Puer vero Terrae; Child of the Land."

As the light shattered, Sylvanus was revealed. Sprouting from his back were a pair of white wings that took the form of what seemed like tree branches, forking and splitting into numerous different protrusions. Over his head, his halo took the form of a bright white laurel wreath.

He reached up and snapped a different point from his necklace. His eyes lost their electric glow. Rock began to form around his forearms and hands.

Leaping from the tower, Sylvanus raised his arm and plummeted towards the ground. Slamming his fist into the ground, he let out a roar of: "Pangaea!"

The instant his hand made contact with the street, the ground began to tremble and shudder. All across the Seireitei, everyone felt the earthquake.

Kensei's legs buckled beneath him, not expecting the sudden forceful shudder.

Using the earthquake as a distraction, Sylvanus kicked off of the ground and rocketed through the air at Kensei. Lifting his fist, the Sternritter punched downwards, planting his fist in Kensei's gut. A shockwave tore through the Captain's body, shuddering and rippling through his muscles and organs.

Kensei's eyes opened wide. Blood slipped through his lips as he gagged.

Sylvanus flipped over him and landed on the ground, over Kensei's head. Rearing his leg back, he moved to kick the Captain in the face.

Rolling to the side, the Shinigami avoided the kick. Concrete was gouged out from the street and flew into the air.

_Slower than before..._ Kensei thought, wincing at the pain in his abdomen. _But the sheer power!_

Sylvanus took another swing at the Shinigami, with his right hand. "Pangaea!"

Once again, he missed. Kensei had managed to stagger to his feet and leap out of the way, just in time. The fist collided with the ground, and another massive earthquake rocked the Seireitei.

Kensei, once more, fell to the ground.

Sylvanus' hand shot up and he snapped another point from his necklace. The rock covering his arms shattered. Around him, a fierce wind was whipped up and two circulating currents of air surrounded his body.

_The wind again?_ Kensei's mind reeled, kicking into overdrive. _Has he realised that he's too slow to land any clean hits?_

As Kensei rose to his feet, Sylvanus appeared in front of him. His left fist sailed up and connected with the Captain's chin in a wide uppercut.

"Shu's Breath!" Sylvanus shouted.

Wind roared from the branch-like wings on his back and whirled around Sylvanus in a massive tornado. The force of the air carried the Captain upwards, contorting his body and crushing the air out of his lungs.

Kensei Muguruma's eyes rolled back in his head. His Bankai faded into ambient reishi. He blacked out.

Sylvanus flicked his wrist to the side, removing blood from his knuckles. His halo and wings shattered into wide shards, leaving only the air currents circling him. Deep silver-grey eyes narrowed as he watched the Captain's body plummet to earth, a half mile away.

"You're lucky I didn't strike to kill," he muttered to himself, cracking his knuckles.

Turning around and looking up into the sky, he attempted to locate Tomoko.

He stopped dead; his eyes opening wide.

* * *

><p><strong>-Several Hours Earlier-<strong>

Tomoko Stano (The Entropy) was leaning against a wall, busying herself eating a Popsicle. Her black hair hung messily around her face and her bright green eyes gazed off into the distance.

Sylvanus watched her, from his own similar position, through discerning grey eyes.

"You know I can see you staring at me, right?" Tomoko said, glancing out of the corner of her eye at her comrade.

"I don't doubt it," Sylvanus replied. "I was just thinking..."

"About what?" Tomoko asked, biting down on the ice lolly.

"Do you think any of us are going to die in the next attack?" He narrowed his eyes. "I mean, last time we lost two of us..."

"Riveting..." Tomoko sighed, smirking and laughing him off.

"I'm serious," Sylvanus persisted. "People we know might die. Some of your friends could die. Why is that so funny?"

Tomoko sighed and averted her eyes from him. "It's not. It's just... I'd rather not think about anyone being killed, you know? Not to mention... Everyone is so strong. Call me crazy but... I just can't see any of them dying."

Sylvanus looked up at the sky. His eyes followed the slow and dreary movement of the clouds. "Strength hasn't got anything to do with it... Things happen. People make mistakes..."

A breeze blew along the street and tussled their hair about their faces.

Sylvanus' finger gently stroked the seven-pointed pendant hanging from his neck. "It's chaos out there. Both in war and in everyday life. We should know that better than anyone."

"I think you're right," she replied, glancing at him again. "It comes with the territory after all. You know... We may not be the strongest but... I think we might be the most dangerous Sternritter." Tomoko looked down at the ground. "It's kind of funny. We're probably the most sentimental... The two who most want to make friends. And yet our abilities are the most likely to hurt our comrades." She broke into a slight grin. "Entropy and natural disasters... It's like some sick joke."

Sylvanus Athala (The Nature) said nothing. He simply listened to his comrade.

"That being said," she chuckled. "With my temper, I'm more likely to go off the rails than you."

"I was going to say, but thought better of it," Sylvanus replied, laughing. "Don't worry, I promise I'll stop you if it looks like you're going to kill too many people."

"You're a right charmer, aren't you?" the black-haired girl laughed, finishing her Popsicle.

"I try," he replied, smirking. He scratched bashfully at the black stubble that clung to the back and sides of his head. Breathing heavily, he looked back up at the sky. "You know," he suddenly said. "You're wrong about us being the two who want to make friends the most."

"What?"

"I said that we're not the two who want to make friends the most," Sylvanus reiterated. He broke into a brief smile.

"And who's that?" Tomoko asked, casting down her Popsicle stick and turning to her side, looking at Sylvanus.

"Onmar."

"Hahaha! Are you kidding me?" The black-haired girl opened her eyes wide in disbelief. "Mr antisocial? The Sternritter who hates more people in the Silbern than anyone else. He's the one that wants to make friends the most?"

"I'm not joking," Sylvanus said, completely deadpan. "He acts aloof; he acts like he doesn't care. But I can see him... God knows how I can, but I can. He cares about us and wants to get close to us. The reason why he doesn't have many friends is because people avoid him. And that's only because he acts like he doesn't care. It's a cycle."

Tomoko seemed to ponder the thought for a second. "I guess you're right."

"The only person I think Onmar genuinely hates is Kirmie," the grey-haired young man continued. "I can see it in his eyes. Everyone else, he would do his best to save, if it came down to it. Even if they didn't like him."

"Well I guess we'll see if you're right in the next invasion," she replied, smiling.

"I guess we will," Sylvanus said, laughing slightly. "Here's hoping he doesn't put my expectations to shame."

The pair stood in silence for several moments. No words needed to be said. They were able to appreciate each other's company.

"You know what you said about stopping me...?" Tomoko suddenly said, breaking the silence.

"Mhmm," Sylvanus hummed, in response.

"Did you mean it?"

"Why would I say it if I didn't?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you want to promise me something?" Tomoko asked.

"Sure."

"Promise me that if things get too out of control, you'll bring them back in order."

Sylvanus laughed. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) watched Tomoko launch shots of reishi down at the fleeing Third Seat.<p>

In spite of his earlier claim that he could care less about Tomoko's well being, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her the entire time. The tendons in his neck were raised, and his green eyes narrowed.

"Come on," he whispered under his breath. "Look to your left... Notice him!"

Onmar rose to his feet, his hands trembling. His mouth grew dry and his palms became sweaty.

Advancing towards Tomoko, from the North, was the figure of a Shinigami.

The ground around Onmar shuddered, from the second of Sylvanus' earthquakes.

"Look to your left!" he shouted.

* * *

><p>Ikkaku Madarame continued to duck and dodge between buildings. Sweat dripped from every pore of his body and his breathing was laboured. His limbs felt heavy.<p>

He was at his limit.

Ikkaku knew that he wouldn't be able to run for much longer. It was all he could do not to pass out.

Looking up as he moved, Ikkaku watched Tomoko continue to fire reishi at him. Her wings continues to ripple and change shape; the five-pointed star over her head spinning and rotating about itself.

That when when he spotted it. Approaching from the North was a figure clad in a Shihakusho. It was a man with feathery blonde hair.

Izuru Kira, Lieutenant of the Third Division, raised his Zapakuto and leapt into the air.

Tomoko hadn't noticed him yet.

Ikkaku tightened the grip of his good arm on his Zanpakuto. His mind pleaded with Izuru to make it in time.

Gripping his sealed Zanpakuto, Izuru didn't dare call out Wabisuke's name, for fear he would draw the Sternritter's attention. Light from the moon caught the metal surface, glaring out brightly.

Behind Izuru, a tornado whipped up as Sylvanus launched his final attack on Kensei.

Tomoko glanced to her left, suddenly registering the Shinigami.

However, by then it was too late.

Izuru slashed downwards, cutting her across the abdomen. Blood spurted out from the wound and soaked her white uniform crimson red.

Her eyes opened wide in shock and dismay, before the light behind them faded. The white wings adorning her back shattered, reigning glass-like shards of reishi on the ground below.

Tomoko crashed to the ground, with Izuru touching down next to her a half second later. Moving fast, he ducked between the buildings and grasped Ikkaku, slinging him up onto his back.

"You can thank me later," Izuru said, hurriedly, beginning to move. "Right now, we need to run."

* * *

><p>Tomoko's vacant, dead eyes stared up at the night sky. Blood spilled from either side of her mouth, leaving deep red lines running down her cheeks.<p>

Sylvanus looked down at her and gritted his teeth, in an attempt to fight back tears. "Damn it..." he choked out.

Kneeling down, he reached out and closed her eyes with the tips of his fingers.

"You weren't supposed to go," he said, standing up and rubbing his eyes. "I... I'm going to have to leave you here... But... You know the orders." He breathed out deeply and looked skyward, before returning his attention to Tomoko's body. "I'll come back for you once this is over. I promise."

Leaping from the ground, he took to the air and disappeared into the night. His hands were balled so tightly into fists that his knuckles turned white.

Several minutes passed. Nothing moved.

All of a sudden, a shadow appeared. Slinking over the ground, it passed over Tomoko's corpse.

"K-k-k-k-k..."


	31. Rest & Regroup

**Chapter 31: Rest & Regroup**

Shunsui Kyoraku locked blades with Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C). Lenora's full red lips were plucked up into a sly smile. Her bright blue eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Not even using your Shikai?" she taunted, raising one defined eyebrow. "That's a mistake."

Lenora flicked her wrist out, knocking aside Shunsui's Zanpakutos. Lunging in, she reversed the movement of her wrist. Shunsui stepped back to avoid the slash, before clashing with her again.

"Something tells me that you're not taking me too seriously," Lenora smirked. "Aren't you worried about your Lieutenant? By now, my men have probably caught up to her."

"Do you think I have so little faith in my Nanao-chan?" Shunsui smiled in reply. Forcing back the woman's arms, he stepped forwards and struck out with the shorter blade in his right hand.

Lenora removed her left hand from the hilt of her sword and grabbed the blade. The veins in her hand and wrist glowed bright blue as she activated her Blut.

Swinging her arm down, she pushed the sword wide and leapt back. Swinging the blade in her right hand down, she fired two Heilig Pfeil at the Captain Commander.

Shinsui leant to the side and avoided the arrows, allowing them to explode against the far wall.

Lenora was about to follow up on her attack when her whole body suddenly locked up. Her eyes gained a faraway expression.

**"Lenora,"** Yhwach's voice echoed inside her head. **"I need you to return to the Palace. Now."**

Pulling her sword into a tight defensive stance, the Sternritter took a deep breath. Her hand gripped the hilt of the sword tightly and her eyes narrowed.

"Leaving so soon?" Shunsui chuckled.

"How did you-?"

"A educated guess," he replied, cutting her off and smiling. "It really is a shame. I was enjoying out little back-and-forth." Looking down, he eyed her sword. "Oh, don't mind me, I won't follow you. Feel free to leave."

Lenora hesitated for a half second before sheathing her sword. Her gaze moved up and down over Shunsui's form. She tensed her jaw. "I'll be back for you later."

Shunsui winked. "I'll be looking forward to it."

* * *

><p>Nanao Ise ran through the streets of the Silbern, trying desperately to escape the battalion of Soldat that were chasing her. Daring not to even turn around, she could hear the stomping of their trench-boots growing louder and louder.<p>

A hail of reishi arrows began to swarm through the air towards her back.

"Bakudō #39! Enkōsen!" Reaching behind her back, Nanao summoned a flat circular barrier that blocked all of the oncoming attacks.

Hurriedly turning a corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. A squad of Soldat had anticipated her route and cut off her escape ahead of time.

Reaching up and pushing her glasses up her nose, Nanao took a step back. The fingers of her left hand flexed.

Suddenly lifting her arm, a beam of pale violet spiritual energy manifested in her hand. "Bakudō #62! Hyapporankan!" Throwing the javelin-like Kido towards the oncoming Quincy, the reishi pole split and divided into numerous identical structures.

Slamming into the advancing Soldat, the Kido lifted them off of their feet and pinned them against the far wall, at the opposite end of the alleyway.

Continuing to run forwards, Nanao dashed past the restrained Quincys. Turning left, she began to run down a road parallel to the one she had been on before.

Almost as if they had expected the dispatchment of their comrades, more Soldat flooded out of the various adjoining streets and followed close behind her. Every so often, several of them would fire Heilig Pfeil at the fleeing Lieutenant.

Constantly casting Kido behind her, to defend herself, Nanao's feet tore through the snow underfoot. Her usually neatly parted hair leapt around her face as she ran and her glasses slipped down her nose.

Under her breath, she was muttering an incantation. "Ye, Lord. The mask of blood and flesh; all things of the universe that fly; that which names all. On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. On the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens."

Nanao turned around and raised both of her hands. Her palms touched at the join of her wrists and her fingers were held tightly together.

"Hadō #73! Sōren Sōkatsui!"

An immense stream of blue fire shot from her hands and tore down the street. The torrent of flames eclipsed the Soldat forces, exploding violently. Their screams were drowned out by the sound of the blast.

Just as Nanao was about to turn and continue running, she felt a hand on the top of her arm. Whirling her head around, she found herself face to face with a Soldat. Behind him, there were at least ten more.

Glaring through the goggles of his face mask, the Soldat member tightened his grip on Nanao's arm. "Something tells me you're not going to be running away much anymore," he said.

Blood flew into the air, spattering the snow-covered ground. The members of the Soldat all fell, their bodies crumpled into heaps on the floor.

Ash seeped out of their wounds and took to the sky, before reforming into a blade, clasped in the owner's hand.

Rangiku Matsumoto leapt down from an overlooking building. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes..." Nanao gasped, looking down at the Soldat before stepping over the corpses. "Thank you for helping me."

Rangiku looked down the scorched and burnt road at the bodies of the previously pursuing Soldat. "Looks to me like you might not have needed it."

"We all could use a bit of help."

"No arguing with that..." Rangiku replied, glancing around herself at the surroundings. "We need to move. It's not safe here."

"It's not safe anywhere," Nanao retorted, looking up at her comrade.

"I think we may have found somewhere that is," Rangiku said. "We've managed to gather a lot of us together. Isane and some of the Fourth Division members are treating the wounded there."

Nanao appeared shocked. Even in spite of the chaos that the Seireitei was in, many of them had still managed to think and act with clarity. "Please. Take me there."

* * *

><p>Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) stood in the shadows, in the corner of the ice palace's entrance hall. Her arms were folded across her chest.<p>

When His Majesty's voice had entered her mind, she found herself wondering who else had been ordered to return to the Palace. Yhwach had addressed her specifically, by name. Such a thing very rarely happened.

Walking through the entrance, a man with messy black hair pushed his glasses up his nose and checked the time on his wristwatch. Joseph Fehler (Sternritter M) directed his attention to Nina and smiled, waving briefly.

Nina raised two fingers from her folded arms, to acknowledge him, before averting her eyes.

In spite of how nice he was, she preferred not to associate with him. She knew just how dangerous the man could be. Nina would rather keep a polite distance. It wasn't as if it was out of spite; in fact, Joseph seemed to accept it.

Leaning against a wall of his own, Joseph shifted himself into a comfortable position and closed his eyes. He was more than likely attempting to fall asleep.

Seeing this, Nina chuckled under her breath.

Lifting her head up, she gazed at the ceiling. Her eyes suddenly snapped open wide. Hanging vertically from the ceiling was a woman.

_When did she get there?_ Nina thought, surprised. _I didn't even sense her Reiatsu._

Gabriele Geschlechtliche (Sternritter V) paced along the underside of the roof, her hair hanging down from her head. After venturing a way, she came to the wall and began to traverse the stone surface.

"I heard Tomoko is dead," Gabriele said, smiling widely and stepping down onto the floor. Reaching up, she pushed her hair behind her ear and laughed softly.

Gabriele was a young woman with long glossy black hair, pushed pack and out of her face. A thick stripe of red hair adorned the top of the thick black hairdo. Her skin was so pale that his was almost transparent and her eyes a deep shimmering crimson. Her well-manicured nails were painted black.

The uniform that Gabriele wore was tight fitting and streamlined. The neckline of her jacket was low, exposing her breasts, and her skirt reached midway down her thighs. Coming up to just above her knees, she wore high leather boots.

"That's not something you should be laughing about," Nina snipped in reply.

"Come on, Nina, it is a _bit_ funny," Gabriele insisted, chuckling again. "After all the talk about her being one of the strongest, to die this early is hilarious. Not just her, either. Legion, Balder and Asuma. It's quite a spectacular body count."

"You're sick."

"I'm having fun." Her crimson eyes sparkled. "Do you know how many Shinigami I've killed? One hundred and six."

"Well isn't that nice for you," Nina retorted.

"Don't pretend that you're not jealous," Gabriele laughed, walking away and dismissing Nina with a wave of her hand.

"Bitch..." Nina whispered, under her breath. In spite of being confident in her victory, she knew better than to start a fight in the middle of Yhwach's palace. Even more so if the fight was with one of their own.

Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) walked through the entrance, Lenora Poultery at his side. Lenora was talking to him about her theorys as to why they were ordered to gather. As usual, Zeit said nothing.

Lenora stopped her one-sided conversation to point at Joseph, now fast asleep. "Someone wake him up!" she shouted, annoyed.

Across the room, Gabriele glanced over her shoulder and scoffed, ignoring the request.

Nina flicked her eyes over to Joseph. She had no intention of approaching him. Even less so, considering it was Lenora's order to do so.

Lenora watched the gathered Sternritter for several seconds before she realised that none of them would follow her order. Pulling an annoyed expression, she walked up to Joseph and grabbed him by the arm before shaking him awake.

Joseph opened one eye and groaned. Reaching up with his left hand, he scratched at his messy black hair. Moving out of his leaning position, he glanced sidelong at Lenora and muttered: "I was enjoying that."

The Soldat Grand Mistress found herself instinctively flinch backwards ever so slightly.

Joseph broke into an amused smile. "Someone's a bit jumpy."

Footsteps filled the air as Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) walked into the cavernous room. Nina found herself thinking that this was one of the only times she had ever seen him standing up.

Onmar's lime green eyes looked over the occupants as he walked to the middle of the room and sat down on the floor. He didn't say a word.

Crawling across the floor next to him, was a small beetle. Onmar eyed it with quiet disgust.

Against the far wall, a staircase formed from reishi appeared, leading down from Yhwach's throne room. Descending the steps, Yhwach's black cloak billowed around his body.

His vision swept across the sparse population of the room. His deep red eyes narrowed. "Where are Haans and Bheratt?"

Lenora stepped forwards. "They must still be on the battlefield."

No sooner had she said this, two men entered the room. Both were swathed in white cloaks and hoods that obscured their forms and threw their features into shadow.

"Splendid," Yhwach said, breaking into a broad smile. "Now all is ready." He swung his arms out wide. "For you select few will aid me in bringing about my final goal!"

* * *

><p>Nanao Ise and Rangiku Matsumoto walked into a small building. Surrounding the structure was a spiritual barrier that had been designed to mask Reiatsu.<p>

Inside, they came to a room. Various unseated Shinimagi were laid on the floor, already being tended to by members of the fourt division. Sat propped up against a wall were Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa. They were being treated by Hanataro Yamada.

Nanao swallowed hard as she looked upon all of the injured.

"This isn't even all of them," Rangiku said, solemnly. "Captain Sui-Feng is in the next room, along with Captain Muguruma. Isane is in there treating them."

"I had no idea the situation was this dire," Nanao said.

"The fighting has quietend down for now, but we never know when the Quincys will attack again," Izuru Kira said, walking into the room and explaining the situation to Nanao. "Captain Sui-Feng is in critical condition. Until she's recovered, Captain Hirako and Captain Ōtoribashi are watching out from the upstairs windows."

"You've thought of everything," Nanao said, mildly impressed.

"Not quite," Izuru replied. "If we're attacked by any more than two enemies I don't know if we could hold them off... I managed to kill one of them earlier, but that was only because she didn't know I was there. In a one on one fight I don't know if I could do anything."

"As much as I hate to agree, I feel the same..." Rangiku said. "They're all crazy strong..."

"Even their foot soldiers are on the level of seated officers," Nanao added. "And the size of the groups they move in make them dangerous even to Lieutenants."

"I can vouch for that," said Rangiku, narrowing her eyes.

"We need to come up with a plan of action," Nanao muttered, half to herself. "As much as I hate to say this, get the Fourth Division members to stop healing the unseated officers. They're in a state where their lives aren't at risk. Move them onto the Seated Officers and the Captains. Concentrate on getting them back to full health as fast as possible."

Izuru tucked in his chin and hesitated for a second. "I..." He exhaled heavily. "Understood."

Turning towards Matsumoto, Nanao knitted her brows and asked: "Do you have any idea where the others are?"

"Unfortunately, no... The only reason I managed to find you is because of all the explosions and Kido being thrown around." Her expression softened and her hand began to tremble. "Earlier we... Found Momo."

"Why isn't she here?"

"She... She's dead..."

Nanao felt her heart lurch in her chest. Her eyes opened wide. "How...?"

"I don't know..." Rangiku muttered. "It looks like she just... Stopped breathing... She didn't even have any wounds on her body."

"Then there's an enemy out there that can kill without direct contact... Which makes the situation even more dangerous than we first thought..."

"Damn Quincys..." Izuru muttered under his breath.

* * *

><p>Nina Redwing walked out of the palace, with her hands in her pockets. Her crimson hair billowed around her head, caught in a chilling wind. Behind her body, the typical white cloak of the Sternritter flared up.<p>

"What was that all about?" suddenly arose a voice, from behind her.

Nina turned. Stood next to the palace entrance was Eric Koertig (Sternritter R). His bright blue eyes shone out of his skull mask.

Nina knitted her brows together and cast her deep eyes down.

"Can't say, huh?" Eric asked, walking towards her. "It must be important, then."

"It is."

"Yeah..."

Eric tilted his head to the side. "Are you alright? Something seems off... You were much more talkative the other day."

Nina couldn't bring herself to tell him what had been said by Yhwach. She couldn't tell him what it was that had shaken her so much. However, that wasn't the only reason that she had appeared distant.

The red-haired Sternritter was wary of Eric. After her interaction with him the other day, she couldn't trust herself around him. He had a strange power over her that got her to lower her guard. She felt exposed around him.

"It's nothing," Nina lied. "I'm just tired, is all..."

"That's understandable," Eric said, following close beside her as she began to walk away from the palace. He glanced at her sidelong. "You should have a rest."

"I'm fine."

"Come on, I insist," Eric chuckled, smiling slightly. "I know a good place."

"I've been given a mission by His Majesty, I can't just stop and take a break any time I feel like it," Nina propounded.

"But, seeing as you were just walking out of the castle, you probably don't have to do it for a while?" he guessed, grinning. Taking her by the wrist, he guided her through the streets. "You won't even have to stop for long."

Nina caught herself breaking into a smile as she sighed. "Okay, you win."

Eric broke into a grin and continued to lead her through down the many winding and forking streets and alleys in the Silbern.

Coming to a stop in front of the giant white clock tower, he opened the door and ushered Nina inside and up the stairs. They ended their journey at the very top, inside the uppermost part of the tower, where the many cogs and wheels worked the mechanism of the clock. From the missing panels in one of the clock faces, they could see across the entire Silbern.

"Okay, you're right," Nina admitted, laughing slightly under her breath. "This is a good place."

"Why thank you, miss," Eric chuckled, bowing low in a mocking fashion.

Nina shoved him and walked towards one of the clock faces. Leaning against the railing, she looked out of the missing panel and across the city. Towers of smoke, and craters were visible in the distance.

"The view would be nice, if it weren't for all that," she said, indicating the signs of battle.

"You might be right about that," Eric replied, moving to stand next to her. As if it had only just occurred to him, he suddenly turned towards her and said: "Do you mind if I take off my mask?"

Nina was taken aback by the statement. She had no clue why he would require her approval to do so; unless of course his face were marred by some kind of horrible disfigurement.

"Um, sure," Nina said, uncertainly.

Eric reached up and removed the mask, allowing his features to meet the open air. Far from what Nina had expected, he appeared rather plain. Normal, but not unattractive, his face was unassuming. He was clean shaven, and his skin pale. Still glowing, his bright blue eyes shone towards her.

"Why would you need my permission to take it off?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. "You're quite good looking-" She caught herself and stopped.

"Courtesy," he replied. "That and I haven't shown my face to anyone in so long, I was worried you wouldn't care for it."

"Well I can confidently say you have nothing to worry about," Nina laughed.

The pair stood in silence for several minutes. The mood between them was settled and smooth. Even the air itself felt subdued and calm.

"I almost wish I didn't have to go out there and fight," Nina said, softly.

"I know what you mean..." Eric replied, narrowing his eyes as he watched the distant smoke rise. "I don't like seeing people suffer."

"Then why did you join the Vandenreich?"

Eric laughed. "Other than because I had no choice in it?" His expression grew somber. "My mother was killed by a Soul Reaper. That's not to say I condone all this slaughter, but... I don't know. I can justify it like that."

In spite of all the digging she had done into her fellows, Nina had not known this. She didn't know that what she said could have brought up something so painful for him. Her mind worked frantically to find a way to say something. In the end, however, Nina did something that surprised even her.

Reaching out slowly, she placed her hand over his.

Neither said a word.

* * *

><p>Atop the vestibule road, Ichigo stepped out. His twin Zanpakuto were sheathed and bound to his body.<p>

He was ready to depart for the Seireitei.


	32. Sunrise Avenue

**Chapter 32: Sunrise Avenue**

"Hoorah!" Tenjirou Kirinji shouted, pumping one fist into the air. The huge pompadour that adorned his hair swung through the air. "All up and ready and good to go! Hope you've crossed your I's and dotted your T's!"

Ichigo stepped onto the edge of the vestibule road. He was swathed in a series of extravagant and ornate robes, over the top of his Shihakusho. "Of course," he said, slowly and with great purpose.

Ichigo suddenly pulled a confused expression. Glancing around himself, he looked as if he was attempting to find something.

The gathered members of the Royal Guard looked at him with perplexed expressions.

"What are you looking for?" Kirio Hikifune asked.

Moving his hands up and down, Ichigo mimed as if there were a pillar in front of him. "That stone tube-y thing that we rode up here in."

"You mean the Tenchuuren?" Hyousube Ichibei (The Eyeball Monk) said, lifting one eyebrow.

"Yeahhh we don't have that," Tenjirou said, rubbing the back of his head. "You're taking the scenic route back."

Ichigo stopped and pulled a dumbfounded expression. "What?"

"Don't you 'what' me," Tenjirou retorted. He turned towards Senjumaru Shuutara and nodded. "The stairs."

Senjumaru tapped her cane against floor. Suddenly appearing, in the middle of the air, a staircase extended downwards in a spiral, towards the Seireitei.

"The pillar isn't something we can use on a whim," Tenjirou explained. "So you're going to have to use your stairs. Those clothes you're wearing are made from our bone and hair... That'll allow you to pass through all those barriers."

Ichigo's body locked. "That means if I leave now, it will take half a day..." He turned towards the Zero Division. "Do you think they'll be able to hold out until I get there?"

Ichibei broke into a calm smile. "I have no doubt."

With that, Ichigo leapt into the air and began to plummet through the centre of the staircase.

* * *

><p>Peaking over the horizon, the sun began to rise. Varying shapes were thrown from the shadows across the various white buildings of the Silbern. Orange, red and pink light flickered and danced from the rising sun. Four hours had passed since the last battle ended.<p>

Rukia Kuchiki moved slowly between the buildings, assessing the situation. The fact that she hadn't heard so much as a peep from the enemy in so long unnerved her. It was almost too quiet.

For the past hour, she had been attempting to locate her comrades. So far, the task was proving far more difficult than she had previously assumed it would be. The Quincy city was designed specifically to impede the ability to sense Reiatsu. The buildings and streets almost seemed engineered to confuse anyone attempting to remotely locate people, by rebounding particles of reishi.

Her tight hold on the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki didn't waver even for an instant. The breath billowing from her lips, as smoke, was slow and steady.

All of her senses were focussed into fine points. She could feel her heartbeat in her chest, pumping her blood through her body.

Her ears suddenly pricked up. Rukia could hear footsteps. They were light, but definitely noticeable. The steps were fast. Whoever it was, was running.

Rukia fixed her form into a tight combat stance and raised her Zanpakuto.

Leaping around a nearby corner, a flash of black and pink hurtled towards Rukia. Her eyes opened wide as she realised exactly who it was.

Yachiru Kusajishi, the Lieutenant of Squad 11, launched herself at Rukia. Grasping her comrade around the torso, she hugged her and began to swing around her neck. "Byakuya-Kun's sister!"

"Lieutenant Kusajishi!" Rukia gasped, shocked. Looking down at the girl, she held her Zanpakuto away at arms length so as not to cut her. "What are you doing here?"

"Ever since everything changed, I've been looking for people to keep me company," Yachiru said, releasing her hold on Rukia and dropping to the floor. "I've mostly been hiding. I've been sneaking into the Quincys rooms and kitchens and stealing food and bedding, then running!"

Rukia pulled a dumbfounded expression. "How have you not been found by them, yet?"

"I'm a master infiltrator!" Yachiru proclaimed, holding her chin in her index finger and thumb and raising one eyebrow. "I've had years of practice, sneaking into the Kuchiki manor!"

"I guess that makes sense... Wait, what do you mean, sneaking into the Kuchiki manor?"

"So do you know where anyone else is?" Yachiru asked, ignoring Rukia's question.

"So far, no..." Rukia said, softly. "When the invasion started, I was in the Squad Thirteen barracks. There wasn't anyone else there with me."

"Boo..." Yachiru pouted, folding her arms. "I was hoping you would know where Byakuya-Kun was. Or at least someone fun like Rangiku."

Rukia felt a vein throb atop her temple. _So she doesn't think I'm fun? I see how it is..._

"What are we going to do now, then?" Yachiru asked, looking up at Rukia and staring blankly.

"We move slow," Rukia replied. "And we stay out of sight."

* * *

><p>Nina Redwing (Sternritter B) stood watching the sunrise from the clock tower. The multitude of shades of red blended with her crimson hair, melding her profile with the morning sky.<p>

Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) leaned against the inside of the clock face, peering out of the gap that Nina was looking through.

"It's surprising..." Nina suddenly said. Her voice was soft and quiet. "There haven't been any fights since we came here. It's almost like everything has just stopped... All of this is... Strangely peaceful."

Smiling to himself, Eric picked up his mask. "Yeah... You're right."

Noticing her comrade retrieving his mask, Nina turned towards him and lowered her eyes softly. Her deep brown orbs held his form as he covered his face once more. "So I take it this is goodbye?"

"For now," Eric replied, smiling.

"That's a shame..." Nina replied, with a hint of reluctance. Reaching up with her right hand, she pushed her bright red hair behind her ear.

Wrapping his long white trench coat around his body, Eric fastened it tightly at his front and looked at the red headed girl out of the corner of the skull's eye socket. "Hey," he said, reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder.

Nina half-flinched from the touch and blushed ever so slightly. She looked into the glowing blue orbs.

"I'll see you again." He laughed, revealing his teeth. "Before you have to go and do whatever it is Yhwach wants you to do, come and find me. Okay?"

Smiling weakly, Nina tilted her head to the side. "Deal."

Eric held out his hand and smiled. Taking the offered appendage, Nina wrapped her fingers around the back of his palm.

"Don't shake unless you mean it," Eric said playfully.

Nina grinned. "It's a promise."

* * *

><p>Nanao Ise looked around the gathered group, through her large round glasses. Rangiku, Izuru, Yumichika and Ikkaku were all sat in a circle. Captain Ōtoribashi was stood in the doorway, watching. Captain Hirako was still upstairs on lookout, and the injured Captains were in the next room, being treated by the remainder of the medical division.<p>

"We need to discuss our plan of action," Nanao said, seriously. "The enemy hasn't made a move in hours; it's unnerving."

"I agree," Izuru replied. "They managed to catch us off guard in their initial attack, but now we've grown accustomed to the battlefield it should be easier for us to move."

"But where are we going to move to?" Rangiku asked.

"We need to make our way to the Research and Development Institute," Nanao explained, leaning forwards. "Or at least what's left of it. When the Captains regained their Bankai, the Tentei Kura came from Kisuke Urahara. He's the one who most likely has effective defense measures; and if he's anywhere, he would be there."

"The only problem is this damn environment," Ikkaku cut in, folding his bandaged arms across his chest.

"He's got a point," Izuru commented. "The way this city was designed bounces Reiatsu off of buildings. It's nearly impossible to locate anyone. The only reason we managed to was because we saw all those explosions."

"So we do it the old-fashioned way," Nanao said. "We use the sun as a reference point. We know the Twelfth Division barracks is to the South West, so we move in the opposite direction from where the sun is rising."

"We need to be careful, though," Yumichika said. "The Sternritter I encountered when I was on my own told me where another one of them was. West of where you found me. From the way she spoke about them, it seemed like they were really dangerous."

"So we steer clear of that area..." Nanao muttered under her breath. She looked up into the faces of her comrades. "And if we do encounter an enemy, we fight. They may be strong, but from what you've all reported, they don't move around in groups larger than two. Which means we'll have an advantage in numbers if we do come across one, on our way."

"Though greater numbers doesn't always mean victory," Rose said, walking across the room and looking down at the seated Assistant Captains and Officers. "Numbers mean very little when confronted with overwhelming strength."

"I don't know about that," Ikkaku muttered, glancing up at the Captain. "The only reason we managed to beat that Sternritter chick was because there were three of us..." He moved his gaze across Yumichika and Izuru. "And she was crazy strong."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think there are probably stronger," Yumichika said, looking sidelong at his friend. "She was powerful, but reckless. I get the feeling that the enemy have people a lot more dangerous than that in their ranks..."

"Fantastic..." Ikkaku hissed between gritted teeth.

Matsumoto took a deep breath, before speaking. "This isn't doing us any good, second guessing anything."

"You're right..." Nanao said, closing her eyes and sighing. "The more we sit here and talk, the less likely we are to get anything done."

"So are we sticking to the plan of finding the Research and Development Institute?" Izuru asked.

"Yes," Nanao replied. "We move as a group, with Captain Hirako." She looked up at Rose. "I'm sorry, but your Banaki effects anyone that hears it and would be dangerous to us, if we come across an enemy. You should stay here and protect this building, while Captains Muguruma and Sui-Feng are being healed."

"That makes sense," Rose replied, folding his arms. "You've got a good head on your shoulders."

"Thanks," Nanao said, smiling ever so slightly. "We'll leave in half an hour. Make sure everything is in order and you're prepared. This is going to be a rough ride..."

Ikkaku broke into a wide grin and laughed softly. "If it wasn't a little bit rough, this wouldn't be any fun."

Yumichika smirked. "I have to agree with you, on that."

* * *

><p>Byakuya Kuchiki moved slowly through the streets and alleyways of the Silbern. His attention was so focussed and intense that even the slightest sound drew his attention. He was being cautious.<p>

When the Seireitei had first been taken over, the Sixth Division barracks (or at least the building that had taken its place) was swarmed with enemy soldiers. Luckily for Byakuya, there was not a Sternritter among their ranks.

In spite of their low rank in the enemy army, the sheer number of Soldat that had mobbed him ensured that he was kept occupied for almost four hours. He had sustained almost no injuries, save a few cuts and scrapes, however the duration of the fight meant that he had to lay low afterwards to build his stamina back up.

By the time morning had broken, he was almost back to full strength.

He held Senbonzakura in a loose grip. That would allow him to adjust his stance, depending on the nature of the enemy's attack.

Byakuya would move for ten minutes and then rest for fifteen. It was a strategy that had, so far, paid off well for him. The times in which he would rest enabled him to survey the environment, and his movement allowed him to change locations to avoid detection, himself.

Out of all the Officers of the Gotei Thirteen, Byakuya's tactic was the best in terms of promoting survival and avoiding detection. He didn't have a particular destination in mind. Instead he was focussed on staying out of sight and ambushing any Sternritter he came across, and killing them quickly.

The rising orange sunlight lapped at his form, throwing violet shadow on the ground behind him.

His footsteps were practically silent. He moved with all the grace and elegance of a cat. The breath that flowed in and out of his lips remained calm and steady.

Dark eyes were focussed, on the lookout for anything that could be perceived as a threat.

One thing Byakuya failed to notice, however, were the ants.

A thin line of small insects were pattering across the floor, alongside Byakuya. They marched in single file into a thin crack, extending from the floor up along the wall to the Captain's right hand side.

"K-k-k-k-k..."


	33. Sideyatosiya

**Chapter 33: Sideyatosiya**

Byakuya Kuchiki continued on his slow pace.

Behind him, ants continued to flood into the crack on the wall. Slipping from the fissure, a series of thin digits extended out and gripped onto the wall.

Pulling itself out of the small crack, the form of a man emerged into the morning light. He wore a long white cloak, that covered almost every inch of his body. Pulled up over his head was a thick hood that threw his face into shadow. Shining from within the hood was a distant yellow light.

The man moved strange. His movements were lurching and bumpy, his feet beneath the cloak rarely leaving the floor, almost like that of a tripedal gait. In spite of this, he moved silently.

Creeping up behind Byakuya, the man raised one arm and prepared to attack.

Byakuya's eyes opened wide. The instant the man behind him had raised his arm, a soft breeze had blow up behind the pair. The Captain noted the discrepancy brought on by the figure's presence. He also noticed a strange smell, carried on the wind.

Moving almost as if by reflex, he leapt forward and avoided the attack.

Spinning around, Byakuya faced the cloaked individual and narrowed his eyes. Lifting Senbonzakura, he took up a fluid and loose combat stance.

"You're good," Byakuya said, his voice intentionally low. "Even now, I still can't feel your Reiatsu. How long have you been following me?"

The figure beneath the cloak shook as it laughed. "K-k-k-k-k..." It lifted its head, beneath the cloak and peered out of the shadow. "Ever since the beginning of the invasion."

Even the man's voice was weird. It didn't sound like a single person talking, but rather many talking at the same time. It burbled and rumbled wetly, echoing out of the hood.

"You seem to be slipping... Byakuya Kuchiki," the man said, mockingly. Again, his strange laughed echoed out, clicking through the air. "K-k-k-k-k-k-k..."

"Scatter."

Cherry blossoms flew through the air, towards the cloaked figure. They caught the morning light and threw a bright pink glow down on the white street.

The cloaked man threw himself to the side and momentarily vanished. He avoided the attack and reappeared across the road. Kicking off from the ground, he launched himself at Byakuya and raised his arm once again.

Pulling the petals back towards himself, Byakuya blocked the attack and cut the enemy across the hand. A strange blue-green fluid spattered the floor, as opposed to the red blood that Byakuya was expecting.

The man leapt back and continued to laugh. Flicking his hand, the unknown liquid splashed against the floor. It was then that Byakuya realised it. The hand was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It had no nails or joints, appearing to be little more than a green-brown sack, in the shape of a hand. The "fingers" rippled, moving in strange, anatomically impossible ways.

"You..." Byakuya said, almost at a loss for words. "Who are you...?"

"I think a more apt question would be 'what are you?'" The man's voice gurgled. "To which I would be more than happy to reply."

Byakuya sent a swarm of petals towards him. Again the man dodged, activating Hirenkyaku and vanishing for a brief moment.

"My name is Kirmie," the man said, reappearing on a rooftop overlooking the road. The yellow glow from beneath his hood grew in intensity. "K-k-k-khhh... I am the one who is going to kill you, Byakuya Kuchiki."

Again the flower petals slashed through the air, towards him.

_This man is different from Joseph Fehler.._. Byakuya thought._ Joseph seemed skilled, but this man lacks any refinement. He's faster, but his movements are linear. I just need to predict where he will be and attack him._

Senbonzakura ripped through the air, ahead of the Sternritter, cutting off his escape route.

It was then that a curious thing happened.

Kirmie turned sideways and, for lack of a better word, bent around the cloud of flower petals. His entire body, from the feet up, curved and contorted out of the way of the attack.

Now out of the way of the attack, Kirmie kicked off of the ground and lunged at Byakuya. Senbonzakura chased after him, slashing at him from the side.

Once more, the strange man contorted his body to bend backwards, avoiding the attack. This time, however, his long white cloak was caught in the blaze of pink petals. As the material was torn from him, it revealed his form.

Byakuya's eyes opened wide in shock and horror.

* * *

><p>Renji Abarai looked over his shoulder at Shuhei Hisagi and lifted one tattooed eyebrow. "How are you feeling?"<p>

"Still hurting a lot," Shuhei replied. "But I'm resilient. I'll be fine."

Through the night, the paid had taken turns keeping watch. After the battle with Asuma, Renji had returned to the initial battlefield and retrieved his comrade. After that, they agreed to hide and lay low until morning, to ensure that they weren't ambushed by an enemy.

"Good to hear," Renji said, in response. "If we run into more than one, I need to know that I can count on you. I don't think I could manage two Sternritter on my own... Even after the training I've gone through."

"That makes sense," Shuhei said, glancing either side of himself as he moved, to make sure an enemy wasn't approaching. "That being said, though... Back when you fought, that was some serious power you were throwing around."

"You talk like it's impressive..." Renji again glanced back over his shoulder. "But you're much more talented than me. If you were to actually use your Bankai, it would be almost as powerful."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Shuhei cast his eyes to the floor, to avoid eye contact.

"Don't play dumb," Renji persisted. "You can try and hide it all you want, but I know full well that you can use Bankai."

"I just..."

"Look, I know, okay?" He looked back ahead and tightened his hold on the hilt of Zabimaru. "You're scared of it. God knows, you have every right to be. I think everyone knows how violent your Zanpakuto spirit is... But right now, that can't be an excuse. Next time we're confronted by an enemy, you need to use it. This isn't just about you... This is about the whole of the Soul Society."

Shuhei paused for a brief second, seemingly deep in hesitant thought. He suddenly laughed to himself.

"What?" Renji asked, slightly perplexed.

"I just... I remembered your days back in the Shinigami Academy. You were my Junior, and yet now, you're the one who is scolding me." Shuhei laughed again. "I never would have expected that."

The red-headed man broke into a slight chuckle. "I guess you're right- Whoa..."

Gasping in dismay, Renji looked down at the ground. Swarming out of every crack and crevice were insects of all different shapes and sizes. They were all heading in the same direction.

Shuhei looked down at the creatures and half choked on his shock and surprise. "What the hell is going on...?"

* * *

><p>The Amazon Rainforest is a truly huge and varied environment. Covering roughly 5.5 million square kilometres, it is home to over a tenth of the world's species. As such, it has an unparalleled level of biodiversity; constituting the largest collection of living plant and animal species in the world.<p>

One such example is that of insects. The rainforest is home to over 2.5 million species of insects.

One such insect is of particular note. A curious creature unlike anything else in the world.

Disce Sideyatosiya.

Commonly referred to as the "Learning Bug", by local tribes, it is a creature in an Order of its own, with no natural relatives in nature. While still in the Biological Class of Insects, it has evolved so independently and in such a linear fashion that it barely resembles an insect.

It lacks the hard exoskeleton typical of all other insects, instead bearing a body formed from a green and brown leather-like outer skin. This outer skin allows movement through the concept of surface tension. When pressure is applied to the skin, through attached muscle contraction, the skin tightens and hardens, forming a temporary muscle anchor. Because of this, Disce Sideyatosiya is able to move and contort its entire body into impossible forms and positions. Through relaxing its muscles, its body is able to become soft and pliant, enabling it to fit into even the tiniest of spaces.

The Disce Sideyatosiya is also unique in that, unlike the majority of insects, it does not undergo metamorphosis. Due to not having the exoskeleton, it is able to undergo growth and change at a slower rate. This also means that its life cycle is far longer than the average insect, reaching physical maturity in ten years and eventually dying after thirty. There have even been reports of them growing to the size of a human child.

It possesses three pairs of compound eyes, granting it vision so advanced that it is second only in the entire animal kingdom to the Mantis Shrimp.

The creature is also strange in that it only births a single young during its lifetime, as opposed to other insects that produce dozens. A Disce Sideyatosiya will watch over its egg until it is hatched, protecting the young from predators. After the birth, the young will then stay with the parent for a year before venturing out on its own.

By far the most staggering feature of this creature, however, is its brain. Extremely adaptive, in order to corner prey it often creates elaborate plans and lays traps. While many other insects possess a form of collective intelligence, known as a hive mind, the Disce Sideyatosiya has a very similar, but ultimately more advanced ability. Able to sense minute changes and natures of hormones and sounds, and mimic them flawlessly, it is able to tap into the hive minds of other species. It uses this to trick these other creatures into walking into its lair.

However, this is not the reason that it is known as the Learning Bug. It is so named because of its extraordinary ability to learn what are normally considered to be human skills. Construction of simple tools is one such skill. There have even been reports of local villagers teaching the creature how to play games such as chess or checkers.

Another strange feature of the Disce Sideyatosiya is the ability to spontaneously physically evolve. By constantly consuming other species of insects, over a long period of time, it is able to display physical properties usually unique to those species. For example, should the Disce Sideyatosiya's diet consist of wasps for an extended period of time, it would eventually form a stinger.

The creature truly is a natural marvel.

* * *

><p>Emerging from the torn white cloak, Kirmie retreated backwards several steps. The sunlight caught his body in a dull glare.<p>

His face was long and bore numerous ridges, surrounding three pairs of bright yellow eyes, positioned down the length. The bottom of his head was open, with several stinger-shaped teeth jutting out of the opening. Whipping out, to taste the air, was a long pink tongue; the tip of which bore a leech-like mouth. At the top of his head were several thin hair-like green and brown spines.

The skin that covered his face and body was mottled and discoloured in various shades of sickly browns and greens. Running down his back were a set of spines and atop the back of his forearms were a pair of large black probiscis.

Kirmie's body was distorted and misshapen. It was heavily apparent that he lacked any bones. Sprouting from the bottom of his contorted torso were two pairs of thin legs. Just like an insect, he had six limbs, if one were to include his arms.

Crawling up his body, from the ground, and into the opening at the base of his head were numerous insects of varying shapes and sizes.

Byakuya recoiled in disgust.

"K-k-k-k-k..." Kirmie gurgled, the laugh emerging from the bottom of his head. "Surprised?" His bright yellow eyes bulged and focussed on the Captain. "I can bet that you are."

"You're not human..." Byakuya said, shocked. "What on earth are you?"

"Indeed I am not," Kirmie replied, lurching backwards slightly, to gain more distance. "And did I not tell you? K-k-k... I am the one who is going to kill you."

Saying nothing, the Captain motioned with the hilt of his sword for Senbonzakura to flock in front of him. As the petals floated in place, they created a makeshift shield and also allowed for offence, should the need arise.

"Though if you are referring to what manner of creature I am, I may be willing to oblige," Kirmie's voice buzzed. His body bent and twisted into something vaguely reminiscent of a bow. "Animalia, Arthropoda, Insecta, Disce, Sideyatosiya Kirmie." He raised his head and twisted it to the side, folding his 'face'. "My comrades know me as Sideyatosiya Kirmie."

Byakuya swing the hilt of his sword down, sending hundreds of petals flying towards the Sternritter.

Instead of dodging to the side, Kirmie jumped backwards, landing flat against a wall. His body was suddenly crushed inwards as he slipped into a crack in the wall. The wave of cherry blossoms crashed into the wall, but by then Kirmie was long gone.

_He's using the cracks to move around!_ Byakuya's thoughts shouted to him. _That's how he was able to sneak up on me. But by hiding like that, he restricts his range of vision. All I need to do is move in such a way that I'm not in a direct line from any fissure or crack._

Byakuya leapt into the air and landed atop a building, all the while making sure that there were no gaps in the walls or floor.

"You think you can escape my eyes like that?" Kirmie's voice buzzed, echoing through the area.

Emerging from a crack in the street, a needle-like shot of spirit energy fired into the air and weaved towards Byakuya. It moved so fast that it managed to pierce the Captain through the shoulder.

_So he can control his arrows... That's not that much of a surprise; I'd expect the Sternritter to at least be able to do that much. But that's not the problem... How can he see me well enough to land a hit? His vision should be obscured._

Two more small and thin arrows flew through the air towards Byakuya. This time they shot skyward before turning about themselves and plummeting down at him. They managed to pierce him through either foot, pinning and holding him in place.

Slinking and slipping out of a fissure where the street met a wall, Kirmie ventured out into the open once more. His yellow bulbous eyes drank in the view of the surroundings, almost as if everything were occurring in slow motion. On almost every surface, of every building, were dozens of insects of varying sizes and species.

The grotesque creature laughed once more. "K-k-k-k-k..."

Sideyatosiya Kirmie (The Hive Mind) bent his limbs and craned his neck into an uncomfortable angle as he prepared to launch another attack on the stunned Captain.

* * *

><p><strong>[Author's Note: This has by far been my favourite chapter to work on so far. I've been building up the mystery of Kirmie since the first chapter, and have loved finally bringing it all to light!<br>**

**I hope you all have enjoyed the fic so far; I know I certainly have! I would love to hear who your favourite Sternritter is! Please review and say!]**


	34. König von Insekten

**Chapter 34: König von Insekten**

The Hive Mind.

One of the rare instances where the Scrift is merely an extension of a Sternritter's natural inborn abilities.

The Disce Sideyatosiya, as previously stated, possesses the ability to learn and infiltrate the collective intelligence of other insects. The ability of the Hive Mind serves to advance this skill to a staggering level.

The Schrift allows Kirmie to project his own mind and thoughts into the brains of every insect that he encounters. These insects are all connected in a psychic link. Whatever they see, Kirmie sees and vice versa. He can communicate with every one of these insects telepathically, regardless of distance, and create swarms to overwhelm his opponents.

This ability is also what allows Kirmie to talk as if he were a human.

By influencing various flies and crickets, inside his own body, he prompts them to collectively produce sounds of various pitches and intensities to form what sound like words.

* * *

><p><em>How can he see where I am?<em> Byakuya thought, hurriedly attempting to rip his pinned feet from the ground. _I should be in a blind spot, so how did he manage to attack me so precisely?!_

Blood followed in Byakuya's wake as he tore his feet from the arrows. He moved as fast as he could, leaping from roof to roof. As he did so, Senbonzakura flashed through the air towards Kirmie, who had just moved out into the open.

The Sternritter flattened himself onto the floor, dodging the attack. Once the flower petals had moved over his head, he lunged forwards, his six limbs flashing across the ground.

Leaping into the air, Kirmie raised his two arm-like appendages and pointed the palms of his hands at Byakuya. Holes opened up in the middle of his palms. Fluid sprayed out of the holes and mixed midair.

A cloud of smoke flew through the air and a loud explosion cracked out. Byakuya hurriedly leapt to the side, but not before the scalding chemicals burned him up his right forearm.

_What in God's name was that?!_

"K-k-k-k-k..." Kirmie chuckled under his breath.

Kirmie landed on the roof and lurched forwards, just as Byakuya landed. Raising his right arm he plunged the long black probiscis, that adorned his forearm, into Byakuya's shoulder.

_He's... Sucking my blood!? _Byakuya's eyes opened wide as he realised just what the Quincy was doing.

Byakuya swung his right arm up. He still held the hilt of his Zanpakuto in his hand.

"Sōkatsui!"

Blue fire flung from his hand in a torrent so huge that it defied reason. Kirmie's form was completely dwarfed by flames.

The Sternritter burbled out a horrific, distorted scream. Pulling the appendage from Byakuya's flesh, he fled and retreated back. His body folded and contorted into the floor, smothering the flames.

Senbonzakura rose up over the edge of the building and flew down towards Kirmie.

A dense cloud of flying insects flew into the air, intercepting the petals and delaying the attack by a fraction of a second. Utilising this opening, Kirmie flung himself to the side and rolled over the edge of the roof, disappearing into the alleyway below.

Another swarm of insects buzzed through the air, behind Byakuya. Enclosing around him, they began to bite and scratch at him.

Once more, Byakuya took to the air. Leaping out of the cloud of bugs, he thrust his hand down and incinerated them with Kido.

_He's controlling the insects in the area... _Byakuya thought, swinging his gaze around the environment. His keen eyes picked out several different bugs, watching him from vantage points. _That's how he knows where I am. Their eyesight must all be linked. So, to defeat him... All I need to do is crush all of the insects._

Byakuya flipped his sword hilt into an inverted position and recalled the petals back into the form of a blade. Releasing the sword, it plunged through the air before disappearing into what appeared to be an invisible body of water.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

A column of gigantic swords emerged from the ground behind the Captain. The sunlight glinted off of the metal, glaring brightly across the area. All of a sudden, the numerous blades burst into thousands upon thousands of cherry blossoms. The petals, almost as if caught in a subtle breeze, began to dance and flutter through the air, throwing pink light down upon Byakuya.

Splitting apart, the immense swarm of cherry blossoms divided into groups and began to converge on the pockets of insects scattered around the battlefield. One by one, they were torn apart, the carcasses scattered across the white street.

Watching from beneath a sewage grate, Kirmie gurgled and laughed under his breath. "That's it, Byakuya Kuchiki... Use your Bankai. And then I will crush you along with it."

* * *

><p>Mayuri Kurotsuchi was tapping away at one of the numerous monitors and keyboards that filled his private laboratory. All around him, every surface was illuminated by brilliant light.<p>

Behind him, Kisuke Urahara almost perfectly mirrored his actions on another identical keyboard. His fingers blurred and danced across the keys and his eyes were narrowed intently.

"Something is wrong," Kisuke said, slowly and full of purpose.

"And what might that be?" Mayuri asked, raising one eyebrow in curiosity as he looked over his shoulder. "It has been a long time since I have seen you so perplexed, Kisuke."

"I'm getting a strange reaction..." he explained. "The number of Reiatsu signatures in the area is skyrocketing. There's over a million of them."

"That's not right." Mayuri turned the entire way around and walked over to Kisuke, his ballooned luminous suit restricting his movement somewhat. "What have you done. If you've broken my machine, I swear-"

"I haven't broken anything! Look for yourself!" Kisuke pointed down at the display screen.

"That's impossible..." Mayuri muttered. "Two million... And rising... Where are all of these Reiatsu signatures coming from?"

"There doesn't seem to be a source," Kisuke responded, continuing his typing. "But they're all tiny... Almost negligible. It's the volume of them that has me worried. If the number continues to grow like this, it would make it impossible for us to tell what's going on. Even now, it's interfering with some of our sensing equipment."

"This is indeed a problem..." Mayuri mused. "I may have to venture out of the lab, myself, to see what all this commotion is about."

* * *

><p><em>Thus saith The Lord: "Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt." - Exodus 8:16<em>

_Thus saith The Lord: "If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials, on your people and into your houses." - Exodus 8:20_

_Thus saith The Lord: "If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen." - Exodus 10:4_

All throughout history, insects have played a pivotal role. Many primitive cultures utilised insects as medicines. Other cultures held them as sacred; a prime example being that of the Scarab Beetle to the Egyptians. Even the Roman and Greek empires were known to use insects in battle; filling baskets with wasps and throwing them over the walls of the enemy.

However, the most prevalent use of insects in history is that of the Plagues of Egypt. Three of the ten were that of insects.

The reason behind this was rather simple.

Insects are dangerous.

The creature responsible for the most deaths annually, in Japan, is not the bear or the shark, but the wasp. The Japanese giant hornet is an extremely aggressive and territorial creature, often attacking indiscriminately. In fact, it is so aggressive that it will continue to sting those that it attacks after it has run out of venom; even if the victim is already dead.

A swarm of desert locus, should they descend upon a human habitat, can potentially consume everything. Food, clothes and even dwellings are all eaten. The locus is typically referenced, in historical texts, as being akin to a natural disaster.

Similarly termites, should their numbers increase to a large enough degree, can potentially case widespread destruction to housing environments and crops alike.

Army ants are among some of the most dangerous creatures worldwide. Unlike other species of ants, army ants do not construct a hive or a nest, instead wandering and invading the homes of any insect unfortunate enough to get in their way. Indescribably aggressive and unprecendently predatorial, a typical colony of army ants can consume over half a million prey animals per day.

However, there exists a creature that even army ants attempt to avoid. Itself an ant, it is reported to have the most painful bite of any insect in the world. The paraponera, locally known as the bullet ant, has a bite so painful that it is said to feel like being shot by a gun.

These are just a few pieces of evidence towards an indisputable fact.

Insects are dangerous.

* * *

><p>Bugs crawled out of every crack and crevice in the Silbern. Flooding the streets, they all began to converge on a single point. There were so many of them that they almost appeared to be a solid mass.<p>

Clicks and chirps filled the air, the sound building and building until so many insects had emerged that it transcended into a roar.

All across the Silbern, Shinigami and Quincy alike broke into expressions of shock and horror as they saw the swarm.

Byakuya Kuchiki was the exception.

If he did possess any feelings of horror, he had managed to suppress them entirely. He maintained a calm expression.

His Bankai danced through the air, covering as many angles as possible. He carved into the numerous insects, taking out hundreds of them at a time.

However, no matter how many he killed, more took their place.

Kirmie rose out of the ground, atop a column of bugs, cackling to himself. Carried on the tide of the insects were dozens of corpses. Dressed in white and black garbs, it was apparent that they were that of both Gotei and Vandenreich soldiers.

_He's been using the corpses of people killed in the battles to incubate insects! But that doesn't explain this many... He must have filled the sewers of the enemy territory with them. And if he can control all of them... This is bad._

Slipping through the gaps in Senbonzakura, dozens of insects fell upon him. As they bit and stung him, welts sprung up from his skin and blood began to drip down from his limbs.

Flinging off his Captain's Haori, he incinerated the material, to prevent the spread of the insects.

Grasping himself around the wrist, Byakuya let out a harsh shout of: "Hadō #11, Tsuzuri Raiden!"

The yellow current of electricity coursed through Byakuya's body. Smoke sizzled from beneath his Shihakusho as all of the insects in contact with his body were electrocuted.

_I need to hold out and just keep killing them_, Byakuya thought. _There's millions of them, but they're not infinite. He's got to run out of insects at some point._

"K-k-k-k-k... Do you want me to take a peek inside your mind?" Kirmie gurgled, over the churning sound of the bugs. "You believe that if you continue to kill my bugs then they will slowly begin to die out and decrease in number." His long pink tongue flicked out of the opening at the bottom of his head and tasted the air. "That is just not true."

A swarm of hornets flew towards Byakuya in a massive cloud. Senbonzakura rushed up and turned them into yellow mush.

While this was occurring, a group of what appeared to be moths began to circle Byakuya. Strings trailed behind them, and soon the Captain was held in place.

His movements dulled by a second, the delay allowed several dozen ants to crawl onto his feet. Byakuya flinched downwards in pain as the small creatures began to bite him. Pain so severe that it felt like he had been stabbed in the feet shot up his legs.

Petals from his Bankai flashed down, cutting the strings. Dashing away from the colony of ants, he again electrocuted himself with Kido to kill the insects.

Coughing up blood, Byakuya landed on a neighbouring rooftop. The Hadōs that he were using may have been low level, however the desperate situation that he was in meant that he didn't have the time to focus and restrain his Reiatsu. The shocks were already beginning to take their tole.

_This is insane. There are too many. There are even more than the number of petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. I can't keep up with him!_

Kirmie continued to distort his body, all the while laughing. Spewing from his 'mouth', a flood of insects cascaded down the front of his body.

Around him the bodies of all the dead Soul Reapers and Quincys hung in midair. They were suspended by their wrists from ever moving and changing clouds of flies. A mixture of maggots and fully formed bugs spewed form all of their orifices.

Hundreds of locus tore through the air towards Byakuya. In spite of Senbonzakura turning the majority of them to mush, they just kept coming. Breaking through the cherry blossoms, the locus latched onto the sleeve of the Captain's Shihakusho. Within seconds they had consumed the material.

Continuing to dodge the insects and lash back with his Bankai, the Captain of the Sixth Division desperately tried to fight off the bugs.

As he landed on another building, the structure spontaneously collapsed beneath his feet. Wood splintered and cracked, revealing thousands of termites. Falling into a huge pile of insects, Byakuya was bitten and stung over his entire body.

"Hado #58, Tenran! Hadō #33 Sōkatsui!

A massive tornado-like wind ripped through the inside of the building. Whipped up and fuelled by the wind, blue fire blazed up and filled the building. Again the insects were all burned to a crisp.

Caught in the middle of the fire, Byakuya's Shihakusho, from the waist up, was reduced to ashes. His torso was severely burnt, the skin turning red raw.

Breaking through a window, he emerged back out onto the street.

The bugs had finally ceased in their flooding of the area. Every insect in the entire of the Silbern had arrived at their battlefield. They covered every wall, every building and almost every inch of the road. Pillars of bugs rose up towards the sky, like foreboding statues. The air was filled with clouds of flies, hornets, wasps, bees, mosquitos and flying beetles. Maggots were dropping to the floor from the suspended corpses.

Over all of it, Kirmie stood with his hands raised at his sides. His yellow eyes bulged and his head continuously twisted and crumpled as he laughed. "K-k-k-k-keh! What's wrong, Byakuya Kuchiki?" His head jolted forwards. The bottom of his elongated and misshapen head was pulled upwards, curving to the sides in a manner similar to a deformed, perversive smile. The stingers jutting from his mouth-hole clicked together. "How apt..."

"What... do you mean?" Byakuya gasped, trying to catch his breath. Around him, a narrow circle had been cleared.

"As is the case in nature, the flower is consumed by the insect," Kirmie gurgled. "And so shall you be consumed by me. You will be another step towards building by army. K-k-k-k-kehh!"


	35. Kare Hana

**Chapter 35: Kare Hana** • **枯れ花**

Onmar Gunther (Sternritter G) was trembling with anger. His pale green eyes were so wound up that they formed close to perfect circles, either side of the point of his fringe. His pupils were pinpricked and a boiling sweat soaked through his white uniform. The skin of his face had turned bright red and his teeth ground together, harshly. Tears began to fill the corners of his eyes.

Rage flooded his system. White hot rage. Pure and untainted, it coursed through his veins like acid as he watched the display.

Even from this far away he could see it.

Tomoko Stano was hung by her wrists from a cloud of flies. Maggots squirmed in her eyes, crawling down her face. Emerging from her ears and mouth were hundreds of cockroaches. Ants crawled in and out of her hair and flies pattered across her Sternritter uniform.

Onmar drew breath through his teeth, rapidly. In and out; in and out. The shaking intensified; his hands beginning to blur. Blood dripped through his fingers. He had balled his fists so tightly that he had broken the skin.

In spite of his rage, Onmar held himself back. If Yhwach knew that he attacked a comrade who was winning a fight with a Captain, there would be nowhere he could run from his wrath. His Majesty hated infighting.

However, he still had to fight himself into submission.

No matter what he said, and how much he insisted that he didn't need any friends, deep down, Onmar wanted them. And now he could see one of them, violated, in front of him.

Violated by the one member of the Sternritter that he hated more than any other.

Tears dripped from his chin.

"Kirmie... You bastard..."

* * *

><p>The numerous sensors and monitoring devises inside Mayuri's lab were still going haywire. Alarms sounded, metallic wailings cried out, piercing through everyone's ears.<p>

Ever since the insect swarm had appeared on the battlefield, it had been impossible for the Research and Development Institute to get a read on anything else.

Akon was doing his best to contain the chaos. So far, he had been unable to correct the issue. Even Kisuke Urahara was having trouble.

"I thought you were supposed to be a genius!" Akon shouted at the former Captain.

"I am!" Kisuke replied, shouting back. "But this isn't a matter of genius. Your devices were engineered to detect Reiatsu. Each of these insects possess spiritual powers, so they all emit Reiatsu. It's so varied that I can't filter it out; there are too many of them!"

"Shit!" Akon cried out, slamming his fist into the control panel in front of him. He suddenly moved and pulled a confused face, as if he had only just then realised something. "Wait... Where's the Captain gone?"

"Mayuri said that he was going to see what the commotion was about," Kisuke said. "No doubt, he's probably going to go where all the bugs are heading."

"But if he's going there, then..."

"Yes," Kisuke said, peering out from the shadow thrown by the rim of his hat. "Everyone else will be heading there as well. Well... Anyone looking for a fight, at least." He reached out and pointed at the area of the map that was glowing the brightest. "That place is like a beacon, right now. Give it a few more minutes and that will turn into a war zone."

Kisuke took a step back and glanced over his shoulder. As he did so, a Senkaimon opened up in the middle of the laboratory. Every member of the Institute stopped what they were doing and turned their attention towards the dimensional gateway.

"Did you hear that?" Kisuke asked several figures that stood inside the portal. "That means... You may want to head there yourselves. If you want to help, that is." He broke into a sly smile.

* * *

><p>"Eww! Get away!"<p>

Sternritter S, Aya Herz, leapt into the air in an attempt to avoid the insects that were clamouring over the floor.

"Damn you, Kirmie, you know I hate bugs!" she squealed, hanging onto an overhanging streetlight.

"Looks like you're having fun," Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) said, walking over the carpet of insects and looking up at her comrade. Her white and black hair shimmered in the morning light. Her deep purple eyes were twisted in amusement.

"It's not funny!" Aya shouted, her legs flailing as she dangled.

"Not a good idea, with that miniskirt!" Clarlonde called up, still half laughing.

Aya screamed and lowered one hand, to pull the bottom of her skirt down. She was now hanging on with only one arm. Her face was beet-red and hot from where she was blushing.

Turning her attention towards the direction the bugs were moving, Clarlonde narrowed her eyes. "I've never seen anything like this before..." she said, suddenly solemn. "He's really going all out." Reaching up, she began to chew on the base of her thumb. "Can you feel it?"

Aya stopped her thrashing and screaming, to look down at her comrade. "Feel what?" she asked, slowly returning to a calm attitude.

"Everyone is heading there," Clarlonde said, speaking around her hand. "Pretty soon, the battles are all going to start. They won't be like the little fights we've had up until now... This is going to get really bloody."

"Do you think we should go?" Aya asked, hesitantly.

"You can do what you like..." Her violet eyes moved nervously. "But, as much as I hate to do it, I'm going to make my way there."

As the insects finally cleared the floor beneath the street lamp, Aya dropped to the flood. Her gloved hands quickly dusted off her body. "Then why are you going to go there?"

"Because... If I do, we may be able to end this war in one battle. And the fighting won't be dragged out."

"That's stupid," Aya muttered. "Whether you go or not, people are still going to die. Even if the fighting is dragged out, the same people are still going to die."

"But-"

Aya pushed her glossy black hair behind her ear and interrupted Clarlonde. "I don't mean to sound cold, but that's the way it is."

"Don't you want to help your friends?"

"Friends?" The young girl scoffed and folded her arms. "You're my only friend, and you're right here."

"What about Knight?" Clarlonde asked. "You mean to tell me that after all this time, you don't want to help him?"

"I can't help him."

"Can't, or won't?"

"I can't!" Aya said, raising her voice. "He made me promise. If I were to get hurt, he would never forgive himself." Her purple eyes, so similar to Clarlonde's own, closed as she took a deep breath. "And if I interfered with any of his fights... It would damage his honour."

Bowing her head, the older girl began to chuckle softly. "You know... You're not quite as petulant as people think."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not?"

"Take it however you want," Clarlonde replied. Beginning to walk and follow after the insects, she re-adjusted the hat of her uniform. "You're welcome to join me, if you want... But I'm going."

* * *

><p>Rukia Kuchiki leapt from building to building. Following close behind her was Yachiru Kusajishi.<p>

She had a bad feeling, in the pit of her stomach.

The insects by themselves were cause for concern, however the reason for her unease was something different. Something the she couldn't quite place.

"Nii-Sama..." she whispered under her breath as she ran. "Please, be safe..."

* * *

><p>Byakuya continues to carve through the onslaught of insects, with the petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. However, no matter how many of them he killed, he didn't seem to be getting any closer to culling their numbers.<p>

Almost every inch of him was covered in blood. His bare torso and arms bore so many stings and bites from the creatures that it was almost impossible to find any skin that wasn't swollen or cut. The venom of the numerous hornet stings was finally taking effect, and he could practically feel his body going into shock.

His feet were bloody and torn, restricting his movement. It was all he could do to dodge attacks without his legs giving way beneath him.

Glaring out of his face, Byakuya's eyes were hooded and losing focus.

_I just... Need to kill... More of the insects... As many as possible. If I don't... The whole Seireitei is in danger._

Another swarm of pink petals gouged into the bugs ahead of him.

Kirmie simply laughed. "K-k-k-k-k... You think that if you slowly kill them off, you'll be able to permanently reduce their numbers?" His voice was gurgling and filled with sadistic amusement.

Byakuya said nothing. Still he continued to attack with his Bankai, all the while being set upon by Kirmie's colony.

"Shall I let you in on a secret?" the grotesque creature cackled, reaching out and grabbing one of the hanging corpses. Gripping the body of Tomoko Stano by the hair, he flicked out his tongue and ran it over her dead, maggot-infested, flesh. "While it's true that I usually need corpses to incubate insects, there is a method by which I can increase their numbers infinitely, at a fast rate..."

The Captain of the Sixth Division felt his heart lurch in his chest. _Did he just say that he can make more?_

Kirmie's "fingers" began to distort and flick as he leant back and raised his arm-like appendages. "I could quite easily kill you without doing so, but honestly I'm surprised that you've lasted as long as you have..." His six yellow eyes glinted. "So as a reward, before you die, I will show you true despair."

The Sternritter's arm suddenly shot up. Shoving it inside the mouth-like opening at the bottom of his head, he began to dig around inside his own body. A sickly gurgling, choking sound filled the air.

Byakuya recoiled in disgust at the display.

Pulling his arm from the hole, with a sickening wet pop, Kirmie held a white scarab beetle between his digits. Emblazoned across its back was a five-pointed Quincy Zeichen.

Crushing the beetle between his digits, light shot upwards into the air. Bugs of all shapes and sizes poured from his mouth, almost as if he were vomiting. His body bent and contorted as a gigantic pair of fly-like wings sprouted from his back. Insects covered almost every inch of his body, forming themselves into two extra pairs of legs before dissolving and merging, transforming until they looked as if they were his own. Over his head, a halo of gnats and mosquitos buzzed and rotated.

"Suichiel; Plague of God."

Byakuya took a step backwards. He bore a look of utter horror across his face. This, however, was not brought on by the appearance of Kirmie's Vollständig, but rather by something else. Something terrifying.

Every single insect in the area began to breed with each other, at a rapid rate. Eggs were continuously laid, over and over again, before hatching in a matter of seconds to reveal not larvae, but fully grown insects.

The number of insects began to skyrocket.

Millions. Tens of millions. Hundreds of millions began to hatch and fill the area. Rising up into the sky, the flying bugs threatened to block out the sun.

_This is impossible... I thought there were too many before, but this is insane!_

Kirmie cackled like a lunatic, swinging his arms around him as he flew through the air. "Look upon your death, Byakuya Kuchiki! Soon my insects will cover the whole of the Silbern! Then no one will be safe! I will kill you all. I will strip the flesh from your bones, tear out your organs and violate you with insects! You and every other Shinigami!"

A tidal wave of bugs crashed not Byakuya, sweeping him off of his feet and engulfing him. Yet again, he was stung and bitten all over.

_I need to kill him.._. Byakuya thought, fighting through the swarm._ He's far too dangerous. If I don't kill him here, everyone could be killed. But... I can't allow even a single one of his bugs to survive... I need to kill them all._

Again the creatures slammed into him. They were practically tearing him apart. Blood poured from his wounds, soaking into the ground.

_Gokei... Increases the number of petals to hundreds of millions, but... With all these bugs on my body, if I flash-step to escape, some would be left alive..._

Kirmie continued to laugh, lording over the scene.

_No... If that's the only way, then so be it._

A shockwave rippled out from Byakuya's body and pulsed through the entire area. The petals of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi instantly began to multiply. Flying out, in all angles, they began to swarm and churn in a massive sphere. Not a single insect was found outside of the sphere of cherry blossoms.

Suddenly stopping short in his burbling laughter, Kirmie's yellow eyes bulged in surprise. "What is this?" He hurriedly turned his body, in an attempt to discern the nature of the ability. "Why are there so many of them?!"

"It's futile..." Byakuya said, still in the midst of the insects. "The petals surrounding you number in the hundreds of millions. Even more than your insects."

"But if you unleash something like that, you'll be killed as well!" Kirmie screamed, worms and leeches flying from his mouth.

"If it means killing you, I would be more than willing to give up my life," Byakuya choked out, rising to his feet. Blood slipped out of the corners of his mouth. "You have no one but yourself to blame... You've pushed me to the point of no return, and now you need to face the consequences."

Kirmie reared his head up and prepared to charge at the Captain. "You-!"

"Out of everyone I've fought..." Byakuya said, slowly. "You were the strongest, the most tenacious... And most disgusting enemy ever."

_Rukia... I'm sorry. And Kurosaki... Do not disappoint me. I'm leaving the rest up to you..._

The Sternritter let out a scream of rage.

"Gokei."

Cherry blossom petals ripped through the air. Every conceivable angle, every millimetre was sliced. The insects were all reduced to mush. Kirmie and Byakuya's bodies were both liquified by the attack.

Blood soaked the entire area. It filled the crater left behind by the, forming what looked to be a crimson lake.

Arriving in the area, Rukia Kuchiki looked down into the bloody pool. Her eyes were open wide in horror and a chilling sweat gripped her body.

"Nii-Sama..." she gasped, falling to her knees. Tears began to slip from the corners of her eyes. Her bottom lip began to tremble and a wail escaped her mouth. "I-I..."

After a matter of seconds, her composure had devolved into sobbing.

* * *

><p>A pair of beetles crawled out from a thin crack in the road, and into the fresh air of the street. Beginning to multiply, within a matter of seconds, they had increased in number to well over a hundred.<p>

Merging and melding together, they eventually took the shape of the top of Kirmie's torso.

Gasping and hacking for air, his malformed body crawled across the ground.

"That crazy bastard," he choked out. "Killing himself. How dare he! He... Killed all of them; all my precious bugs...!" His yellow eyes bulged out of his head. He coughed in an attempt to breathe. "I'm going to kill them all. Every single one of them. I'll kill them all!"

All of a sudden, footsteps filled the empty street. Kirmie lifted his malformed head in an attempt to place where the sound was coming from.

Onmar Gunther stepped out into the light. His face betrayed nothing, set like stone.

"Onmar, good..." Kirmie gurgled. "K-k-k-k-k... You can help me-"

"Why did you do it?" Onmar asked, interrupting.

"What?"

"Why did you use our comrades like that?" he spat out. "Why did you use Tomoko's corpse?"

"K-k-k... Sentiments," Kirmie laughed, weakly. "Why else? To make myself stronger... To kill the enemy. Don't pretend you wouldn't do the same... Now help me, you bastard."

Onmar's lime eyes narrowed. He pulled one lip up in disgust and raised his foot.

"W-wait... Onmar, what are you-?"

Stomping his foot down onto the floor, he let out a low mutter of: "G-9."

Kirmie's entire body was crushed into the floor. Every inch of him was liquefied by the sheer force of the pressure; his lack of a skeleton only emphasising the effect.

Sideyatosiya Kirmie was dead.

"One of the four elites?" he said, with contempt. "Don't make me laugh... You're not even worth the dirt on my shoe."

Onmar turned away from the scene, his face stoic. At his side, his hand was still trembling. His eyes turned red as he fought back the tears.


	36. Catastrophic Clash

**Chapter 36: Catastrophic Clash**

Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi arrived at the location of Byakuya's final stand. The morning sunlight shone down upon the crimson lake, throwing light over the shimmering surface. A chilling wind blew through the area.

Overlooking the pool of blood, the duo looked over the scene, in an attempt to discern what had happened.

"What do you think caused this?" Shuhei asked, hesitantly.

"It must have been Captain Kuchiki..." Renji muttered. "But... I don't see him anywhere..."

"He's dead..." suddenly came a voice from behind the pair. Rukia Kuchiki stepped forwards, her head hanging down. Her eyes were puffed up from where she had been crying.

"Rukia!" Renji gasped, turning towards her. He grabbed her by the shoulders."What do you mean, he's dead? What happened?!" Distress held his face like a vice.

"The enemy could control insects..." Rukia said, looking up into her friends eyes and trembling. "If Nii-Sama didn't do what he did... Everyone could have been killed... He- He sacrificed himself to kill all of them."

"No!" Renji shouted. "That's not true! He can't be dead! He can't be!"

"Renji, I-"

Gritting his teeth, the red-haired Lieutenant closed his eyes and bowed his head. "He can't be dead..."

"I'm sorry..." Rukia whispered, reaching up and cupping the side of her friend's face.

Behind her, Yachiru Kusajishi lowered her head and stood in silence, out of respect. Her pink hair hung around her face and fluttered in the wind.

All around the group, everything settled into silence. Comforting calm clung to the air and enveloped them all as they came to terms with their Captain's demise.

"Well well well!" called out a voice, echoing across the destruction.

The Shinigami's heads all shot up, in an attempt to place its origin. Stood on the top of a nearby spire was a woman. Her hair was long and toned purple and red; the sides shaved close to her scalp. Billowing behind her was a deep red cloak.

Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) lifted her arms to her sides and began to laugh. "I thought I might be able to catch one or two stragglers, that came to investigate... But four? Today must be my lucky day."

"By which she means, we do all the work and she gets all the credit," said another feminine voice.

Stepping out onto the roofs flanking Lenora's spire, no less than six more Sternritter revealed themselves.

"I'm not in the mood for your insubordination, Clarlonde!" Lenora spat out, drawing her sword. "You follow my orders!"

"Whatever you say, Miss," Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) replied, saluting in a mocking fashion. The white military cap that she wore slipped down the side of her white and black hair.

"Don't you think four verses seven is a little unfair?" Dientlynne Deiweiber (Sternritter U) asked, with a dazed look on her face. She lifted one finger to her lips and tilted her head to the side.

"If you think that, I'd be happy to sit this one out..." Snow (The Yuki-Oni) muttered, scratching the side of his head and yawning.

"If he gets a free pass, then so do I," Clarlonde interjected.

Lenora leapt down from the top of the tower and landed in the midst of the group. "This is an order from His Majesty, Yhwach, himself. No one is to be sitting back. If there are more of us than them, then all the better to wipe them out quickly."

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) glanced at her, sideways. As usual, the small amount of his face that was exposed, was gripped by unwavering melancholy. "She has got a point."

Stood at the back of the group, Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) said nothing. Lowering her head, she attempted to hide her face behind her bright blue fringe.

"So..." Di said, stretching out the word and gazing off into space, through jaded pink eyes. "Is anyone going to stop them escaping?"

The Sternritter team suddenly realised that, in their bickering, they had given the Shinigami Lieutenants ample opportunity to make their getaway.

"Oh, I don't think so," Lenora hissed, pulling up one bright red lip and exposing her teeth. Tensing the muscles in her neck, she snapped her fingers.

The ground underfoot suddenly began to shake. A mere fraction of a second later, a gigantic white wall shot up out of the ground, completely encasing the area inside a massive circle. Hundreds of feet high, it easily blocked off the Soul Reapers' escape route.

Digging their feet into the ground, Rukia and Shuhei stopped short of the wall. Yachiru, who was gripping onto the back of Rukia's Shihakusho, also managed to stop in time. Renji, unfortunately, was not so lucky. Spurred on by the speed boost he had gained after training in the Royal Palace, he slammed face first into the structure.

Falling backwards, he grasped at his face and cried out in pain, just as the blood began to trickle down from his forehead.

"At least you're good for something, besides running your mouth," Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) said, stepping forwards and talking over the sound of Renji's screaming. Billowing up behind him, his long white trench coat caught the wind.

"You dare-"

"Do you really think it's a good idea continuing to argue like this?" Eric cut in, stopping Lenora short. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to finish this quick."

Kicking off from the ground, Eric rocketed through the air in the direction of the Shinigami. Forming from the ambient reishi in the air, a huge scythe appeared in his hands. Lunging forwards, he took a swing at the gathered Lietenants.

"Reap, Kazeshini!" Shuhei clashed against the Sternritter in a blaze of sparks.

Eric peered through the eyeholes of his skull mask, his face flat. "Interesting... Your Zanpakuto is a lot like my weapon."

Shuhei forced him back and leapt after him. Locking weapons with the Quincy again, she shouted over his shoulder at his comrades. "Scale the wall! Quick!"

Jumping into the air, the remaining trio attempted to escape. Even with Renji's increase in strength, to take on seven enemy soldiers would have been suicide.

As they climbed, spikes shot out from the surface. Leaping back, to avoid injury, they landed atop a building, the tiles cracking beneath their feet.

No sooner had they landed, spiritual arrows began to lash towards them. Flashes of blue and white flashed through the air, before exploding against buildings and walls, as the Shinigami dodged. The six other Sternritter all stood, firing upon the group, in an attempt to end the fight quickly.

"Damn it!" Renji hissed, releasing his Shikai and slashing at the arrows, to defend himself.

Shuhei, still engaged in furious combat with Eric, shouted over his shoulder. "Why aren't you running?!"

"Spikes on the wall!" Renji answered, still deflecting the shots. "I don't know how they're doing it, but we can't get out!"

"Shit..." Shuhei flicked his Zanpakuto upwards, deflecting Eric's scythe, and leapt back. Throwing one of his own twin scythes, Shuhei pulled on the connecting chain, sending it spinning through the air and controlling its path.

Eric knocked the attack aside, with the flat of his weapon and broke into a slight smirk.

"Don't let up on them!" Lenora shouted, ordering her fellows to continue the barrage of Heilig Pfeil. "Force them into a corner!"

"We know," Snow groaned, glancing at the Soldat Grand Mistress out of the corner of his pale eyes. Every so often, he would lazily shoot another arrow. "You don't need to remind us how to do our jobs. It was our idea in the first place."

"Lenny, I'm bored..." Di whined, lolling her head to the side and pouting as she shot. "Do I have to help you with this?"

"I told you not to call me that!" Lenora snipped, swinging her sword threateningly. "That there is Renji Abarai! He's the one that trained in the Soul Palace and killed Asuma. If we can kill him here, this war is going to go a lot more smoothly!"

"Ohhhh okay!" Di said, as if coming to a sudden realisation. Dispersing her bow, she leapt into the air and began to charge through the hail of arrows, towards Renji. Around her body, her long curly blonde hair whipped up in a frenzy.

"What are you doing?!" Lenora shouted after her.

Di glanced over her shoulder. "Well if he's such a problem, I'm going to kill him," she said in an innocently matter-of-fact manner.

Watching her comrade charge forwards, Clarlonde sighed in an amused fashion as she continued to launch bolts from her reishi crossbow. "She's such an airhead... No use reasoning with her now."

Ahead of the group of Sternritter, Renji continued to deflect the shots with Zabimaru's Shikai. Heilig Pfeil rebounded and flew away from him, along numerous different angles, before exploding against buildings.

Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the hilt. His eyes strained. It was all he could do to keep up with the numerous different arrows screaming towards them. Unfortunately, this meant that he was distracted from any other form of attack.

"Hey there!"

Suddenly popping up in front of Renji, Di smiled widely. One of her hands shot out and grabbed hold of Zabimaru, holding it in place. As she did so, her free hand manifested a bow and railed an arrow into Renji's chest, point blank.

Flung back by the force of the blast, Renji slammed into the side of a building, cracking the white bricks beneath his back. The blonde Sternritter loosened her grip and released the Zanpakuto, allowing it to follow behind him.

"I'll be damned," Snow muttered, lifting one hand to his head, to shield his eyes from the sun. "She actually got him!"

"It's because she's so unpredictable," Basilisk replied, dispersing his bow and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "He probably didn't think that anyone would charge him through that swarm of arrows."

Still, Adelaid said nothing. Her eyes lingered on the floor and her bright blue hair fluttered around her face.

Clarlonde de-materialised her own bow and folded her arms across her chest, leaning forwards and squinting her purple eyes. "Eric's doing pretty well as well. That weapon of his looks pretty awkward to use, but the other guy is wielding something similar..."

Pointing to Adelaid, Lenora shouted: "You! I want you to go after the two girls. You're the fastest here. They've taken to the streets; find them! Do not let them escape!"

Adelaid merely nodded. Jumping from the roof on which they were stood, she landed on the road. Activating Hirenkyaku, she vashished from sight.

"This is chaos..." Lenora hissed through her teeth. "This isn't what I wanted to happen. We were supposed to finish this quickly!"

"But where is the fun in that?" chuckled a voice, from behind Lenora. "I quite enjoy a dash of chaos!"

The group of four Sternritter all turned and leapt back, gaining distance between themselves and the new arrival. Assaulting their eyes, the instant they turned, was a bright white glare.

"Oh no..." Basilisk muttered, through his half-mask, pulling his hood down to shield his eyes.

"What on earth is that?" Lenora asked, lifting her forearm to block her eyes from the light.

"Lets see..." Mayuri Kurotsuchi grinned, laughing from within his glowing costume. "One, two, three, four. Four! Hmm... That may be one too many, but I guess I can adapt. One of you will just have to die before we start."

* * *

><p>Even as far away as they were, the group of Lieutenants and Captain Hirako could see the enormous wall rising up from the ground.<p>

"Now that's ominous..." Shinji muttered, stopping to look at the structure.

"That's definitely a Sternritter's ability," Nanao said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "With that and all those bugs heading in the same direction, a while ago, I think we know where the majority of people are going to be heading..."

"Which means that it's the perfect opportunity for us to move, without being spotted!" Izuru cut in.

"Exactly," Nanao confirmed.

Taking to the sky, the group leapt from building to building. They had figured out where the Research and Development Institute would have been, using the sun as a reference. At the pace they had been previously moving at, it would have taken them several hours to get there. However, now that they had a distraction, they could move much faster.

They all moved quickly and precisely. In spite of the distraction, they made as little noise as possible. The last thing that they needed was to become careless and run into an enemy.

That was when they felt it. Spiritual pressure.

So crushing and heavy that it almost ceased to feel like spiritual pressure. It felt as if there were an ocean in the sky, and every drop was pushing down on them at once.

"What the hell?!" Shinji cried, his legs trembling beneath him. Beads of sweat formed on his face, before dripping upwards.

Around him every single one of the Lieutenants' legs gave way beneath them. Their eyes opened wide, their pupils pin-pricking from the sheer stress.

_This is insane... _Shinji thought. _I haven't felt anything like this since old man Yama! Where the hell is it coming from?!_

His eyes narrowed as he attempted to discern the location of the massive Reiatsu. Shinji's teeth began to chatter and the chilling sweat clung to his robes.

Sat on the top of an overlooking tower, was a boy. He sat with one leg crossed over the other and his chin cupped in one hand. At a guess, he appeared not much older than sixteen. His hair was white and flared up from his head, like whisps of soft flame. On the right side of his head, trailing upwards, were several jets of black hair, matching his flat eyes. Over his clothes, he wore a large poncho, trimmed with red.

Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) broke into a silent smile, his lips curling in amusement.

_This Reiatsu is way too strong! _Shinji's mind screamed. _We knew that there were some enemies that were stronger than the average Captain, from the first invasion... But there was nothing anywhere near close to this! It feels like I'm swimming in tar!_

The Sternritter dropped from the sky and landed in the midst of the group of six. The instant he touched ground, they all locked up; frozen in fear. Standing up straight he leaned back and gazed, casually over one shoulder at Shinji. He smiled softly-

And punched him in the chest.

Zeit moved so fast that none of them even registered it. Shinji's sternum was crushed instantly. Blood spewed from the Captain's mouth, trailing in his wake as he flew through the air.

Reacting to the attack, Ikkaku and Yumichika both released their Shikais.

Zeit turned to his left, rolling along the shaft of Hozukimaru. His left elbow slammed into Ikkaku's ribs, breaking several of them. As the Third Seat was catapulted through the air, the Quincy pulled his Zanpakuto from his hands. In one swift movement, he completed another turn and struck Yumichika around the face with the blunt end. He was knocked out in one strike.

Dropping the Zanpakuto, Zeit lifted his left arm and grabbed Izuru's blade, as it was brought down on him from above. Orange sparks shot out from his fist, contrasting with the luminous blue of his Blut-enhanced veins.

Wrenching the sword towards him, he slammed his right fist into the side of Izuru's face. Knocked out, he span through the air and landed in a heap.

Nanao found herself unconsciously stepping back. Her eyes were glazed and sweat gripped her face. Her shoes dragged through the ground; her body so wound up that she couldn't even lift her feet.

Zeit stopped his fluid movement and stood, with his hands on his hips. Leaning forward, he looked into Nanao's eyes. He tilted his head and, as if to apologise, squinted his coal black eyes.

Standing up straight again, Zeit lifted his right arm and formed a small white bow from reishi.

"Cross of Scaffold!"

A luminous green blast cracked down from the sky, landing between the two and exploding.

The Sternritter jumped backwards, to defend himself, and dispersed his bow.

"Looks like we found ourselves a strong one!" shouted the man that had launched the attack. He wore a leather jacket and his hair was slicked back, out of his face.

"I'd usually accuse you of over exaggerating, Ginjo," another man said, touching down on the ground beside Nanao. He had long black hair and a scar across the left side of his forehead. Over his white shirt, he wore a pair of suspenders. "But I think you're right... Probably one of the strongest."

"So what do you say, Tsukishima?" chuckled Ginjo Kujo, slinging his gigantic sword over his shoulder and pointing down at Zeit. "You think we can take him?"

"I think we could give it a pretty good try," Shūkurō Tsukishima replied, smirking.


	37. Slipstream

**Chapter 37: Slipstream**

Zabimaru ripped through the air, towards the female Sternritter. Dientelyn Deiweiber (Sternritter U) leaned out of the way, not once breaking eye contact with Renji. Her white frilly dress billowed in the wind, matching the movement of her long blonde hair.

The woman moved in an unpredictable manner, swaying in an out of the path of his attacks. Once Renji became accustomed to her rhythm, she would suddenly stop and change her pacing; almost as if she had become distracted and decided to venture down a different route.

Gritting his teeth, Renji tightened his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. He needed to finish the fight quickly. If he didn't, he would soon be mobbed by more of the enemies.

"BAN-!"

Another arrow caught him in the chest, stopping him mid-release.

Di chased after him, as he was propelled by the explosion, all the while launching more arrows at the Lieutenant.

Raising his head, Renji registered the girl charging him. He lifted Zabimaru to take a slash at her, however she moved so fast that by the time he had initiated the attack, she was already inside his range.

Di reared up her right arm for an attack-

And slapped him across the face.

Renji broke into a dazed and bemused expression. "Did you just-?"

He never got to finish his statement. Reversing the motion of her body, almost as if moving in a figure of eight, Di slammed her left fist into the side of the Lieutenant's face. Taken completely by surprise, he was whipped off on his feet by the force and his head cracked into the ground beneath him.

Jumping back, she dusted off her lacey dress and broke into a bright smile. Her pink eyes gleamed out from her face. "I don't think I'm doing too bad!" she exclaimed. "And Lenny said that you beat Asuma... I thought you'd be stronger." Tilting her head to the side, she pouted.

Staggaring to his feet, Renji glared at the girl through his dazed vision. She had hit him harder than he thought. Once more, his trembling hand tightened its grip on the hilt of Zabimaru.

Placing her finger onto her lips, Di sighed. "We were told not to let anyone use their Bankai if we could help it... But this is boring."

Renji retreated backwards one step. Unease filled his body.

"Use your Bankai!" Di said, breaking into a wide smile, and pointing at her opponent. Her rose eyes began to glitter. "It's going to be much more fun if you use it, and I won't be as bored."

"Are you crazy?" the red-haired Shinigami asked, his eyes opening wide.

"I just don't want you to suffer," she replied, strangely sympathetic. "And while it will be more fun for me, it would also mean that you'd suffer less... Maybe."

Renji looked stunned. Never did he imagine an enemy prompting him to use his Bankai. He was weighing his options. The girl didn't appear to be as physically strong as Asuma, but that didn't mean she was any less dangerous. Her strange movements meant that she was landing a lot more hits on him; and that wasn't even taking into account what her power could be.

"What letter are you?" Renji suddenly shouted at her.

Di pulled a curious face. "I didn't think you'd ask me that. Just my letter? Don't you even want to know my name?"

"Okay then," Renji grunted. "What's your name?"

"My name is Dientelyn Deiweiber," she beamed. "And my letter is the letter U! But I don't think I should tell you what it means. Lenny might get mad at me if I do."

Renji's mind whirled in an attempt to think of every work he knew that began with a U. It didn't help that he didn't know very many of them.

He soon gave up trying to figure out what her ability could be. "To hell with it... BANKAI! Sou'ou Zabimaru!"

* * *

><p>"So why are we running again?" Yachiru Kusajishi asked Rukia, looking up at her comrade as they sped between buildings and over rubble.<p>

"Because there are four enemies," Rukia said, hurriedly. "How could we possibly take on that many of them at once?"

"Well if Kenny were here, he would say that we should just hack our way through them!" Yachiru laughed in response.

"As much as I'd love to be able to do that," Rukia replied. "We are nowhere near strong enough to do that with enemies like this."

"We won't know unless we try!"

Rukia pulled an annoyed expression. "I'd forgotten how lousy you were at sening Reiatsu..."

Yachiru turned around. "Lets charge in and take a wild swing."

The Thirteenth Division Lieutenant grabbed the back of Yachiru's Shihakusho and lifted her off of the floor. "No."

Flailing around, the pink-haired girl began to cry out. "Come on, let me go! I can take care of them!"

A bright red flash seared through the sky, as Renji released his Bankai.

"See!" Yachiru cried, pointing over the buildings. "Renji-chan knows how it's done! All guns blazing!"

An arrow flew past them and detonated at the end of the street, engulfing it in blue reishi fire.

Glancing over her shoulder, Rukia placed the form of a young woman chasing them. She had bright blue hair and wore a pair of white short shorts and blue stockings.

Adelaid Gotshock (Sternritter X) let loose another arrow towards them.

Dropping the small girl, Rukia unsheathed her sword and swung it towards the arrow. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Upon contact with her blade, the arrow was frozen solid; falling to the ground and shattering into numerous shards.

Rukia locked eyes with the girl facing her. Adelaid's face remained flat.

"Ow! That wasn't very nice!" Yachiru cried, lifting her head. After Rukia had dropped her, he had landed face first into the ground. She pointed up at her comrade. "That really hurt."

Adelaid eyed her, with a bemused expression on her face. "She's..."

Rukia glanced away from Yachiru, back to the Sternritter. Something strange was happening. The young woman was beginning to tremble; her hair turning bright crimson red.

"She's adorable!" Adelaid leapt through the air, towards the two girls.

* * *

><p>Zeit Mehre (Sternritter O) formed a sword from reishi and lunged at Tsukishima. The blade of the Fullbring sliced clean through the reishi weapon. Digging his feet into the ground, Zeit stopped his advance just in time to avoid being cut.<p>

Landing behind the boy, Ginjo took a swing with his oversized sword. Zeit bowed forwards, allowing the blade to fly over his head, towards Tsukishima.

Jumping back, Tsukishima avoided his friend's swipe. Slashing downwards with Book of the End, as opposed to attacking the Quincy, he cut the ground beneath him.

Zeit noted the movement, from his bowed position, and squinted his black eyes. Dipping and stepping to the side, he moved out of range of the two men, turning so that he was facing the both of them.

"There goes our two-front advantage," Ginjo sighed.

"All his movements are calculated," Tsukishima said. "He doesn't even move a finger out of place... We haven't so much as knicked him since this started."

Ginjo broke into a smirk. "How about I shake him up a bit." Pulling out his Substitute Shinigami Combat Pass, he slammed it into the guard of his sword. Purple light flashed outwards.

Zeit cautiously took a step back and formed two swords from airborne reishi into his hands.

Emerging from the light, Ginjo was clad in a suit of black and white bone-like armour. The guard of his blade held the visage of a skull, glaring out from the structure. Lifting the large sword, purple energy began to gather around it.

"Getsuga..."

The white-haired Sternritter's eyes opened wide.

Ginjo swung the blade downwards, launching a violet blast of spiritual energy. "Tensho!"

Zeit hurriedly crossed his two blades, blocking the attack. Exploding violently, the blast dwarfed the area in a veil of smoke.

Emerging from the haze, Zeit lunged at Ginjo. The sword in his right hand came down from above, only to be blocked by the Fullbringer's claymore. The Quincy's other sword came at him from the side, in an attempted slash at the man's face. Ginjo's right hand left the hilt of his sword, to block the attack with the guard fixed to his forearm.

Zeit's foot swung up and slammed into the Fullbringer's stomach. While the majority of the impact was absorbed by the armour, the force was still enough to take him off of his feet and send him flying.

Tsukishima appeared behind the young man, green Bringer Light flashing under his feet. His sword slashed downwards, in an attempt to strike Zeit across his back.

The Sternritter turned his feet inwards and, almost as if he knew his foe was behind him, span on the spot. His two blades shot up, in a cross position, wedging Book of the End between them.

He's already figured out that my Fullbring can cut through anything?

Zeit swung his arms to the right, dragging Tsukishima's sword down and out of the way. De-materialising the sword in his left hand, he pulled the appendage back up, so that it was pointing at his enemy's face and formed a bow.

Tsukishima ducked, allowing the arrow to fly over his head. The shot collided with a nearby building and exploded, levelling the entire structure.

Ginjo appeared again, behind the white-haired young man. His blade was wrought with green light, in the shape of an even larger sword. The blast cracked downwards, eclipsing Zeit's form in light, as Tsukishima leapt backwards.

The Sternritter leapt out of the blast and landed on the top of a low house. His clothes were slightly singed and his hair tussled, but little else seemed out of place.

All of a sudden, the roof caved beneath him.

Falling into the rubble, he was once again dwarfed in smoke and debris.

This obscured his vision just long enough for Ginjo to launch another attack. Leaping into the air, he swung Cross of Scaffold down in a wide arc. Purple spirit energy trailed in its wake as he did so. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Another violent explosion rocked the area.

Touching down next to Tsukishima, Ginjo peered into the smoke of the ruined building. "Good call inserting yourself into the past of this environment."

"I thought it would be best to plan ahead..." He quickly glanced sideways at his friend before returning his attention to the wreckage and holding his stance. "Likewise with the Getsuga."

"I figured that he wouldn't expect Kurosaki's technique," he replied, lowering his brows. "Did you notice it?"

"Yes," replied the taller man. "So it wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me."

Zeit emerged from the smoke and dusted off his poncho. He was taller than he was before and his jawline more defined. Emerging from the bottoms of his sleeves, his hands were larger and more muscular.

"He's been getting older since we started fighting him..." Tsukishima said, completing the pair's train of thought.

* * *

><p>"Mayuri Kurotsuchi..." Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) hissed between her teeth.<p>

"The one and only," Mayuri cackled in response.

"I thought you were sent to kill him," Snow (The Yuki-Oni) whispered to Basilisk Jones (The Dimension). "Why isn't he dead?"

"He was more well-prepared than we anticipated," Basilisk replied. "So I moved for a tactical retreat."

"So you ran away," Lenora spat out, not once taking her eyes off of the glowing form of the Captain.

"An apt decision," Mayuri chuckled. "And I haven't even shown you a fraction of what I have up my sleeves."

"He's got the higher ground..." Basilisk muttered under his breath, to Lenora.

"Not for long," she replied, smirking.

Stomping her foot down hard, Lenora emitted a shockwave that rippled across the surroundings. The building on which Maryuri stood shrank and flattened into the ground, along with several others close to him. The group of four Sternritter simultaneously rose up atop a large podium.

Leaping from the platform, Clarlonde Emcell took to the air. Pointing down towards Mayuri with her index finger, she began to fire thin blasts of light at him.

Dodging the shots, Mayuri noted the ground beneath where they had struck. They left shiny poc-marks, as if they had melted the surface.

"Nemu," he said, jumping into the sky, to avoid another blast.

"How long?" Nemu replied, jumping in unison and pulling out several ball-like objects.

"Three seconds."

Nemu tossed the spheres down at Clarlonde, as the Quincy landed. Lifting her head, the Sternritter fired several more blasts from her finger at the balls, completely running them through. Two of the penetrating shots hit Mayuri in the arm, burning clean through his flesh and bone.

"Those things you're shooting aren't reishi," Mayuri hissed, smiling and touching down on the ground, with his Lieutenant at his back.

Clarlonde ignored him and lifted her other hand, sending a barrage of beams towards him.

As he ducked and dodged, the Captain's ostentatious suit began to slowly luminesce less and less. The glow flickered and dimmed.

Mayuri again began to laugh. "You're stealing the light energy from my suit!"

One of the shots seared into him, burning a hole cleanly through his right shoulder.

"A photon cannon," he mused, ignoring the melted flesh of his wound. "Absolutely fascinating. I had thought my research of Quincys was complete, but the more this war drags on, the more I find things piquing my interest. Splendid. Splendid!" He dodged another of the laser blasts. "However, this just won't do. I can't have you using my invention to fuel your attacks."

The glowing suit that surrounded him burst, like a giant balloon. Beneath it, he was revealed to be naked. His body bore numerous scars and bolts from his many thousands of self-modifications. Limp blue hair hung down from a small patch atop his mostly shaved head.

"Nemu, yours too," he said, as his daughter's own glowing outfit exploded. "Though a tactical retreat may be in order, to obtain more clothes..."

"Don't think you're getting away," Snow muttered, appearing behind him. Sprouting from his forehead were a pair of long thin horns. All around him, a blizzard was whipped up.

"Hmpf," Mayuri scoffed. "If you believe this is enough to freeze me, you're sorely mistaken. I've already modified my body to withstand temperatures much colder than this."

A pair of spikes, formed from the concrete of the street shot up from the ground and pierced the Captain's torso. Watching, through the snowstorm, Lenora broke into a smirk.

"Too bad, so sad," Mayuri sighed apathetically, spitting out blood from between his teeth. "I've already removed and replaced all of my internal organs." His yellow eyes narrowed. "However, I'm getting tired of this..."

Clarlonde shot another beam of white hot light through his torso. The spikes retracted back into the ground, allowing him to bleed out onto the ground.

Mayuri barely reacted. Instead he staggered to the side, his face blank. Reaching up with his left hand, he cracked his neck and casually spat out more blood from between his teeth.

"Do you people ever listen?" he grunted, glaring at the group of Sternritter. "As much as I enjoy observing you, doing so up close is just too tiresome. I'd much rather do so from a distance..." He glanced over his shoulder and past Snow, at something on the far reaches of his vision.

"You're awfully confident," Lenora said, raising one eyebrow. "I know you're well prepared, but do you really think you're going to be able to survive a fight against all four of us?"

"Of course not," Mayuri chuckled. "Which is precisely why I will no longer be fighting you."

Three figures appeared, wading through the blizzard. Dressed in tattered white uniforms, their faces were set solid and stoic. Fragments of bone-like mask were fixed either on or around their faces. Strange scars, like the kind from extensive surgeries, were present all over their bodies, covering almost every part of their exposed skin.

"Arrancar... Do be dears and clean up this mess for me." Mayuri broke into a psychotic grin.


	38. Marching Out The Zombies

**Chapter 38: Marching Out The Zombies**

Black shoes clacked against the floor, stark against the snow that now littered the ground. Long brown hair flared up behind the man's head. Tapping against his chest was a fragment of jawbone-like mask. Numerous scars and stitches extended out of hole that glared out from his chest.

The Primera Espada, Coyote Starrk, glanced sidelong at Mayuri and squinted his greying blue eyes.

The second man swept one hand back through his well-oiled black hair, momentarily touching the horned enamel plate that was fixed to his forehead. His lips twisted into a grin, distorting the stylised van dyke beard that adorned his chin.

Privaron Espada #103, Dordoni Alessandro Del Soccacio, began to chuckle under his breath and eyed the Sternritter with amusement.

Long purple hair billowed around the final man's muscular form, his fringe catching the white tiara atop his head. Almost ludicrously huge lips pursed out into a pout and long eyelashes began to flicker.

"Hohohoho... Behold, I have returned from beyond the grave! The most beautiful being in all creation! Princess Charlotte Chuhlhourne!" he cried out, striking a flamboyant pose before pointing at the group of Sternritter. "Prepare yourselves, for even if you capture my heart, you shall not be leaving here alive!" He winked one icy blue eye.

Clarlonde Emcell (Sternritter T) took a step back, stunned by the sheer ridiculousness of what had just occurred. Her deep purple eyes blinked several times in confusion.

"Hey!" Dordoni shouted, striding up behind Mayuri's bloody naked form. He held one hand up to his forehead, peering into the distance. "Where is the orange haired Niño? You told me that I would be able to fight him, yet I don't see him anywhere!"

"He hasn't arrived yet," Mayuri muttered. "However that is besides the point. You three are to keep those," he pointed at the four Quincy soldiers, "busy."

"No no no no no no no!" Dordoni began to wag his finger frantically. "I am not some attack dog that you can- AAAHHHH!"

The Arrancar's form began to spasm as he screamed in pain. Mayuri's thumb had depressed the button of a small switch that he held in his hand. "You will do as I say."

Basilisk Jones (The Dimension) suddenly appeared behind the Primera Espada, almost as if he had been painted onto the floor. After a brief mutter of "San", his form suddenly swung up, filling out into three dimensions. His left arm was raised and held a short knife formed from reishi. Striking out, he attempted to stab Starrk in the back.

A deep blue flash seared out from between Starrk's shoulder blades. It occurred without warning and was so fast, Basilisk had no time to react. The cero eclipsed the Sternritter's form in spirit energy before exploding violently.

Basilisk stumbled from the smoke, holding up two fingers. His clothes were burnt and his skin seared. "Nii." Once more his body flattened into the ground.

"I got one," Starrk sighed apathetically. Scratching the side of his head, he began to yawn. "Can I go back to the lab now?"

"Starrk, what are you saying!" a small girl with green hair began to shout, seemingly appearing from nowhere and tackling him. "You can't just act like you're giving up! You're the strongest! And if we don't do what he says, then-!"

Mayuri depressed the switch in his hand again, electrocuting the pair.

"See what you've done Lilynette..." Starrk groaned, all but ignoring the shock and averting his eyes lazily.

"What I've done?!" she screamed, thrashing atop him as the current rippled through her muscles. "This is clearly your fault!"

"Enough of this!" Lenora Poultery (Sternritter C) snapped, stomping down on the ground. Spikes rose up from the grounf and shot towards Mayuri and his Arrancar zombies.

Leaping backwards, the group avoided the attack.

"So rude!" Charlotte cried, pointing at the enemy commander. "An ugly face and an even uglier personality! You vile woman!"

Lenora's face twitched. A prominent vein began to bulge atop her temple. She glanced around at her three comrades.

"Kill them all."

Clarlonde raised both of her hands and began to fire her light cannons at her opponents. The brunt of the attack was directed at Charlotte.

Ducking and dodging the blasts, the muscular Arrancar retreated backwards. The Sternritter woman continued to advance upon him.

Snow (The Yuki-Oni) kicked off from the ground and raised one hand in an attempt to throw a punch. Starrk grabbed hold of his arm around the wrist and stared lazily into the effeminate Quincy's eyes.

"I'd really rather not do this," Snow muttered, half-heartedly.

The First Espada returned his opponent's apathetic stare and spoke, their words overlapping. "But orders are orders."

Dordoni leapt across the ground, chasing the shadow-like form of Basilisk into the distance as the Sternritter attempted to flee.

Mayuri had already vanished, retreating from the battlefield.

Lenora surveyed the numerous fights occurring within her circular wall. Her lips twisted into a smile. "This situation is less than ideal... But I can at least give us the home field advantage."

The entire area began to shake. Rock leapt into the air as more walls shot up into the sky, sealing off the fights into their own seperate locations. Riding one of them up into the sky, Lenora began to chuckle and looked down into the different arenas that she had created.

"I just need to alter the battlefields to benefit my men."

* * *

><p>Shuhei Hisagi and Eric Koertig (Sternritter R) clashed against each other. Bright orange sparks flickered through the air.<p>

As the walls sealed them off from the other fights, they broke away from each other and broke into bemused expressions. Beneath their feet, the rubble and buildings all sunk down, until the ground was completely flat.

"Damn that Lenora..." Eric muttered. "Stop interfering like this, I had this under control."

Kazeshini ripped through the air, spinning towards Eric. Ducking his head, he allowed the Zanpakuto to sail over him before lunging forwards and striking out with his scythe.

Shuhei pulled his hands along the chain of his Zanpakuto, stretching it taut to block the slash. Twising his hands and rotating his arms, Shuhei wrapped the chain around the blade and pulled it from Eric's hands.

As opposed to diving for his weapon, Eric remained calm. Without missing a beat, he lifted his right arm and struck Shuhei around the face.

Stunned by the sudden hit, Shuhei's head rocked backwards. This allowed the Quincy to make a dive for his weapon. Snatching it up, he swung it sideways and slashed the Lieutenant across the stomach.

The cut was shallow.

A habit born from his time as Tōsen's Lieutenant saved him. The former Captain had always told him that fear was a natural part of battle; that he should embrace it. As a result, whenever he released his Shikai, he would restrain himself by half a step; never advancing forward too far and always retreating in excess.

Tugging on the chain of his blade, Shuhei pulled his weapon back towards him and jumped back.

Eric avoided the attack by sidestepping.

Catching his weapon, the Lieutenant took up a combat stance.

_Thank you, Captain T-..._ His mind stopped short. _Wait... Who am I thanking? And why?_

Slinging the scythe up onto his shoulder, Eric tilted his head to the side and peered through the eyeholes in his mask. "That's one."

Shuhei pulled a confused face. "What do you...?"

"That's one memory gone," Eric responded. "I'm sorry for taking it, but it's not something that I can control."

"What are you talking about? Taking memories?"

"That's what my Schrift is," the man in the skull mask replied. "I am Sternritter R: The Reaper. Every time you're cut by my scythe, I reap one of your memories. It's a horrible power; it leaves you a shell of a man. An empty husk." The glow of his blue eyes began to slightly fade. "It was born from my desire to erase my own horrible memories... But it doesn't work on myself. And even if I wanted to remove memories that others didn't want, I can't choose which." He gritted his teeth tightly. "It's far too cruel."

Shuhei swallowed hard and gripped the poles of Kazeshini tightly.

Eric removed the scythe from across his shoulders and took up a combat stance. "I could make this easier on you and kill you with one attack, if you'd like... I'd rather you not suffer."

* * *

><p>"Whirl! Giralda!"<p>

Twin typhoons roared through the air, repeatedly slamming into the ground. Dust and rubble blasted out, in the wake of every attack.

Lenora had altered their battlefield to create numerous different flat surfaces, at varying angles and locations. Basilisk Jones (Sternritter D) was using this to his advantage, moving almost exclusively in his two dimensional form and slipping in and out of sight.

"Why do you flee, Jovenzuelo?" Dordoni shouted over the roar of his attacks. "You run and hide in the cracks!" Another one of his attacks obliterated the flat surface of a wall. "Like a rat!"

Basilisk ignored the Arrancar's chiding, continuing his course of action. Maintaining his flat form, he moved fast from surface to surface. His goal was to move out of Dordoni's line of sight long enough to hide and sneak up on him.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. The Privaron Espada's Resurrección was extremely destructive. The cyclones that were spewing from his legs carried so much force that everything in their path was instantly crushed.

Fragments of rock and concrete blasted through the surroundings. The sounds of destruction perforated the air, accompanied by the roar of the whirlwinds.

"Is this the power that has decimated the Soul Society?" Dordoni screamed. "You disappoint me!"

"San."

Basilisk sprang up and formed a large bow in his hands. He began to launch arrows at the Arrancar.

Tearing through the winds, the shots began to explode around Dordoni, sending shockwaves ripping through the area.

"Yes!" he cried, his eyes opening wide and his lips parting to reveal a wide toothy grin. "This is more like it!"

One of the typhoons charged towards the Quincy, as Dordoni launched a kick. Basilisk ducked to the side and fired another series of arrows at the Arrancar.

Raising his arm, to defend himself, Dordoni's vision was obscured as one of the shots detonated against his Hierro-enhanced wrist. Swinging his hand to the side, his hissed between his teeth and swatted the resulting smoke aside.

His stylised eyebrows arched high on his forehead. The Sternritter was gone. Basilisk had used the distraction of the explosion to escape from sight.

"Tch!" he tutted between his teeth. "Cheap tricks, my friend!"

Around him, every surface that he had destroyed was repaired and returned to its original pristine, flat state. Lenora had obviously repaired them, using her strange ability to alter the environment.

Turning his body, as the cyclones erupting from the exhaust spouts on his legs kept him hovering midair, he scanned the area with his eyes. His eyebrows lowered and the beard on his chin distorted as he pulled an expression of distaste.

"You are underestimating me, Jovenzuelo!"

The twin tornados increased in intensity. The two cyclones emerging from them, adorned with bone-like bird heads, began to thrash violently.

"If you will not show yourself, then I will make you reveal yourself!" he shouted, arching his back and throwing his arms out to his sides. "Ave Mellizos!"

The bird-like whirlwind extensions reared up into the air and began to ripple. Splitting and growing, they increased in number from two to twelve.

Thrashing and striking out, they began to obliterate the surrounding area. Chunks of rock blasted through the air and dust followed the currents of the wind, whipping up into the sky.

"Run while you can!" Dordoni shouted, continuing his path of destruction. "For I will find you!"

* * *

><p>"Why are you running away?" Charlotte cried, leaping after Clarlonde and taking a swing with his sword. "Does my beauty intimidate you, girl?"<p>

"Don't take it personally," the Sternritter replied, retreating back. "I'm more of a long distance fighter."

The Arrancar was clearly physically superior, however Clarlonde proved to be much more nimble. Throughout the course of their exchange, he hadn't landed so much as a glancing blow.

Clarlonde, on the other hand, had managed to land several shots on the large man, from both her photon cannon and her Heilig Pfeil. She was aiming to wear him down and chip away at his defences from a distance.

She knew that if he was able to get close to her, she would be finished. While her Reiatsu was indisputably greater, it was clear that he trumped her in terms of physical strength. Add into the equation that he was an Arrancar, and the threat of hollow poisoning from any wounds he dealt her, and she would be in more than a little trouble if he landed a clean hit.

"If you won't fight me up close, then so be it!" Charlotte cried, raising his fist. "Prepare to feel the wrath of Beautiful Charlotte Chuhlhourne's Ultimate Blazing, Amazing, Appraising, Super Sexy... BALA!"

Throwing a straight right punch, Charlotte launched a projectile of bright pink hardened spirit energy from his fist. A sonicboom cracked through the air as the projectile broke through the sound barrier.

Clarlonde's deep purple eyes shot open in surprise.

Leaping to the side, she barely avoided the attack. The blast crashed into the building behind her, obliterating the structure.

_Was that really a Bala?_ the Female Sternritter thought, leaping from building to building. _I know they're supposed to be fast... but the destructive force!_

"Hoho!" Charlotte chuckled. "Trying to get away?"

Rapidly throwing a flurry of punches, the Arrancar sent a barrage of Balas screaming through the air at the Quincy.

Her mind racing as she dodged, Clarlonde began to weigh her options. _He's probably memorised the patten of my Heilig Licht, and my arrows don't have enough bite to damage him much. I may need to use more of my powers... But everything past the lasers drain me too much to use consecutively._

A shot of pink spirit energy wizzed over her head, vaporising her white military cap.

_Caution to the wind, it is._

Clarlonde raised one arm and pointed her hand at the Arrancar splaying her fingers.

Noting the movement, Charlotte raised one eyebrow. The motion and position of her fingers was different from anything he had seen the Quincy do before.

"Blendendes Licht!"

Light spewed from her hand. Burning, searing light. It was so intense, the feminine Arrancar could practically feel the fluid inside of his eyes boil.

Letting out a girlish shriekof pain, Charlotte clasped his face in his hands. "My eyes! What have you done to my beautiful eyes?!"

Clarlonde, breathing heavily, used the distraction to pepper the Arrancar with beams of light. Two burned through the toned muscles of his abdomen, while a third pierced cleanly through his arm.

Throwing himself to the side, still clutching his face, Charlotte broke through a wall and took refuge inside a nearby building.

"Curse that witch!" Charlotte hissed, rubbing his searing eyes in an attempt to regain his sight. "How dare she do that to me!"

Rising up from the shadows, thrown by the walls and furniture inside the building, a black figure began to advance upon the blinded Arrancar. It moved in a jerking and disjointed manner, like a marionette.

Clarlonde took several deep breaths and broke into a wide smile. _It may drain a lot of my energy, but now you're as good as dead. With my power of The Twilight, I can control light, darkness and everything in-between. I hope you're ready to die... Arrancar._

* * *

><p>Coyote Starrk and Snow locked blades and stared half-heartedly over the steel and into each other's eyes. In the background, the sounds of the numerous other battles filled the air as a cacophony of explosions and shouts.<p>

"Sounds like all your friends are fighting," Starrk said, slowly.

"Likewise," Snow retorted.

The air between them grew heavy with tension. Their eyes began to glow, not once averting. Breaking from their sword clash, their faces tightened.

"What do you say to taking a break?" Starrk suddenly asked, loosening his guard and sighing heavily.

Snow scanned his enemy, before breaking into a smile and dispersing his sword. The womanly man dropped to the floor, to sit and pushed his hair behind his ear. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Following suit, Starrk sheathed his own blade and lay down on the floor, clasping his hands behind his head.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Lilynette shouted, running up to her other half and kicking him repeatedly in the ribs.

"Just let him nap..." Snow muttered, yawning. "I'm not in any hurry to finish this..."

Lilynette's attention snapped towards the Sternritter. She was just about to scream at him, when she heard an odd sound. Starrk had started snoring.


End file.
